Rain, wind, capsizes and a redemption story for the ages. The inaugural Canada Sail Grand Prix delivered one of Season 4’s most memorable weekends. As the fleet returns to Halifax Harbour at the mid-point of the 2026 Season, we relive the moments that made it.
Scott silences the critics
When Giles Scott arrived in Halifax in June 2024, he was under pressure. Five months into his tenure as Emirates Great Britain’s driver – replacing the legendary Ben Ainslie – he had yet to win an event and had endured fierce criticism for his performances. Halifax changed everything. In driving rain and gusting winds that pushed the F50s past 50 knots, Scott’s team produced a masterclass in consistency – never winning a fleet race, yet never finishing lower than fifth either. When it mattered most, they delivered. Emirates GBR beat France and ROCKWOOL Racing in the winner-takes-all Final to claim his maiden SailGP victory, describing himself as “absolutely buzzing” afterwards. Few wins in the championship’s history have felt more earned. In a classic SailGP plot twist, Scott returns to Halifax as the defending champion, but this time behind the wheel of home team NorthStar.
Robertson’s heartbreak on home waters
Halifax was Phil Robertson’s first-ever SailGP event on Canadian soil – and his NorthStar team made the most of it, winning fleet race four to deafening cheers from a sold-out waterfront crowd. But the sport is ruthless. A last-place finish in the fifth fleet race ended their final hopes and left Robertson processing a bitter weekend in public. “We were in pretty good shape going into the last race and we just let it slip away again,” he said. “What an epic event we’ve just had.” The emotion in those words told its own story.
Slingsby’s ghost in the machine
The Bonds Flying Roos were contenders heading into the final fleet race – until their wingsail inverted without warning, sending the F50 into a capsize that left Slingsby as confused as anyone watching. The culprit? A button malfunction in the grinder cockpit panel that the boat’s system had registered as pressed when no one had touched it. “No one touched a button and the wing inverted,” said Slingsby. A ghost in the machine – and one that cost the Aussies any shot at the podium.
When the weather called the shots
Halifax’s conditions were so extreme that Sunday’s racing had to be restructured before it began. Winds were too strong to safely crane all ten F50s into the water, so SailGP launched boats in order of the event standings – leaving Switzerland and the United States sitting on the dock for the opening fleet race. It was a reminder that on Halifax Harbour, the weather doesn’t negotiate.
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Originally published by SailGP.
