SailGP opens its 2026 season in Perth for the first time, with unresolved form from Abu Dhabi, rising fleet confidence, and no margin for error in Fremantle’s conditions.
SailGP Season 6 begins in January with a first for the championship. Perth will host the event for the first time, taking the fleet to Fremantle’s Bathers Beach and onto the Indian Ocean. Conditions in Perth are rarely subtle. The Freo Doctor typically arrives around midday and builds quickly, often settling in the high teens and pushing beyond 20 knots.
The final event of 2025 in Abu Dhabi left finalists Australia and New Zealand dissatisfied with their own execution. Australia showed pace across the weekend but struggled to maintain control once the margins tightened. New Zealand stayed competitive through the final but could not lift themselves beyond Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, who sailed with greater consistency and discipline when the race broke open.
Late last season also shifted the balance within the fleet. In managing risk and protecting their paths to the final, the leading teams allowed others space to win races. Several crews closed out results under pressure and carried that confidence through the final rounds. Those gains will not be easily surrendered.
Denmark dominate Abu Dhabi as Rockwool Denmark storm to the SailGP win
Season 6 opens with another unknown on the start line. Artemis SailGP Team enters with an experienced group and no previous season baggage. Cohesion will determine how quickly they settle, but their approach is unlikely to be cautious.
Perth offers little time to settle. The breeze builds early, the sea state follows, and errors are costly. Teams will arrive with unresolved form from Abu Dhabi, under pressure to answer those questions once racing begins.
