Prerace build-up
Anticipation was sky high before racing even began. The mistral, France’s notorious north wind, swept down into Saint-Tropez, whipping up gusts of more than 40 km/h. The forecast promised chaos, and with the debut of new high-speed rudders and foil-protection software, teams knew they would be pushed to the edge.
Off the water, Sir Russell Coutts confirmed SailGP’s 2026 expansion plans — Team 13 has been sold and will be announced soon, while Team 14 will join in 2027 alongside a new F50 training platform. Repairs had also been completed in time for racing: Mubadala Brazil and the USA returned to the start line after major rebuilds.
For Quentin Delapierre and the French team, this was a chance to deliver at home. Emirates GBR, meanwhile, looked to repeat their 2023 Saint-Tropez victory, this time with Dylan Fletcher at the helm.
The scene was set — and the mistral was ready to make its mark.
Fleet Race 1: BONDS Flying Roos strike first
The Australians came out swinging. Tom Slingsby’s BONDS Flying Roos hit the line hard and controlled the fleet from the start, carving their way across the chop with the confidence of defending champions. Emirates GBR stayed glued to their stern, shadowing every move but unable to break past. Los Gallos Spain looked sharp too, sliding into third and showing they had pace to match the front-runners.
Further back, chaos reigned. France’s timing was off at the start, leaving Delapierre with work to do. Brazil and the USA, both just back from repairs, fought simply to stay upright in the gusts. Switzerland and Red Bull Italy stumbled badly — both finishing without points.
It was the perfect launch for Australia, but as the mistral strengthened, consistency would prove much harder to find.
Fleet Race 2: Burling bites back
If the first race belonged to BONDS Flying Roos, the second was all New Zealand’s Black Foils. The Black Foils nailed the start and never looked back, riding the shifts with precision. In their wake came a surprise — NorthStar Canada, who hooked into the breeze beautifully and held second from start to finish. Los Gallos Spain once again impressed, banking another third to cement their growing threat.
But the big story was the collapse of the BONDS FLying Roos. From dominant winners in Race 1, they slipped to tenth, caught out by the sharp changes in wind direction and a messy mid-fleet battle. Emirates GBR managed fourth, keeping their tally steady, while Red Bull Italy grabbed a useful sixth after their opening disaster.
By now the pattern was clear: the only consistency was inconsistency.
Fleet Race 3: Red Bull Italy’s breakthrough
Race three brought the shock of the day. Ruggero Tita and his Red Bull Italy crew shook off the nerves, shook off their Race 1 nosedive, and surged into the lead. They sailed clean, fast, and fearless — and were rewarded with their first-ever SailGP race win since joining the league earlier this year.
Los Gallos Spain again looked dangerous in second, proving they could fight at the front in any conditions. The Black Foils kept their charge alive with third. For France, fourth was a welcome lift after a sluggish start to the event, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy the home crowd.
Emirates GBR, meanwhile, banked a sixth — not spectacular, but vital points in such a volatile fleet. “We had plenty of wild moments but when you’re powered up on those wings and it’s shifty in Saint-Tropez – it doesn’t get any better!” Fletcher admitted afterwards.
Fleet Race 4: Fletcher steadies the ship
By the fourth race the mistral was in full force. Boats skated across the Bay of Saint-Tropez at close to 100 km/h, crashes and near misses threatening at every turn. This time it was Emirates GBR who kept their heads. Fletcher and strategist Hannah Mills played the shifts beautifully, making the right calls when others faltered.
Germany produced their best sail of the event to finish second, their boat clocking 97 km/h on the speed gun, while Mubadalah Brazil stormed into third to cap their comeback story after a frantic rebuild. France managed fourth — better, but still below expectations — while the BONDS FLying Roos and Black Foils both finished mid-fleet, unable to control the chaos. Los Gallos Spain, so consistent all afternoon, imploded with a last-place finish.
As Mills put it: “It felt like you made a call and then immediately it was the wrong call, because the wind was changing so quickly. You had to be so adaptable, ready for anything.”
Mid-event points
After four races the leaderboard reflects the chaos. Emirates GBR lead by a single point ahead of the Black Foils, Los Gallos Spain hold a deserved third, while BONDS Flying Roos, France, and Denmark all sit adrift of where they’d like to be.
Emirates GBR – 31 pts
Black Foils (NZL) – 30 pts
Los Gallos (ESP) – 25 pts
Germany by Deutche Bank – 22 pts
BONDS Flying Roos, Australia – 19 pts
France – 19 pts
Rockwool Racing Denmark – 17 pts
Mubadallah Brazil – 16 pts
Red Bull Italy – 15 pts
Northstar Canada – 12 pts
USA – 9 pts
Switzerland – 5 pts
What needs to happen?
- Emirates GBR: Leading without dominance. Fletcher’s team must keep banking top-six finishes to stay in the fight for the final.
- Black Foils: Dangerous as ever. Burling’s crew need to cut out the mid-fleet results to convert pressure into points.
- Los Gallos, Spain: Momentum is on their side. If they can avoid another race-four collapse, a podium is within reach.
- Germany by Deutche Bank & Mubadala Brazil: Both are on the rise. Another strong result or two could push them into final contention.
- France: Still stuck in the middle. Delapierre must deliver a home-crowd performance to salvage the weekend.
- BONDS FLying Roos Australia: From first to tenth to nowhere. Slingsby’s Roos need a reset if they want to defend their Championship lead.
Consistency is a myth
Across four races, we’ve had four different winners and a leaderboard that flips with every start. The mistral has stripped the event of predictability, leaving only chaos. BONDS Flying Roos Australia rose then fell, Los Gallos, Spain soared then crashed, and even New Zealand Black Foils and Emirates GBR haven’t escaped the turbulence.
But amid the madness, one truth remains: consistency — or at least damage control — is what wins SailGP events. Fletcher’s Emirates GBR have shown it so far. The question is: who can show it tomorrow?
