Six teams, one rising tension as SailGP Abu Dhabi approaches

SailGP Abu Dhabi starts on 29 November. Emirates GBR lead on 85 points, New Zealand’s Black Foils sit on 82, Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos hold 80 and Spain’s Los Gallos remain in the hunt with 76. France follow on 61 and Canada’s North Star on 48. The 15 point gap between Los Gallos and France suggests the Championship Final will almost certainly come from the top four, yet all six teams have the pace to influence the weekend. Any of them could reach the event podium, and several will want a result that restores pride. In truth, every team in the league will be chasing a finish that feels like a fair reflection of their season.

Across the season, the tone from each of the top six teams has shifted in its own way. Emirates GBR sound calm. Their season has relied on tidy execution rather than drama, and they seem content to trust the same approach now. Their results support it. They have been strong in light air, quick through manoeuvres and confident in stable conditions. A three point lead gives them a buffer, but not much of one.

New Zealand take a different approach. The Black Foils talk openly about their season and do not hide from soft patches. When Leo Takahashi said, “There is no hiding from your mistakes,” he summed up the way they operate. They used that approach after a slow start, worked through their issues and built a run of solid results. Strategist Liv Mackay described the shift simply. “By New York and Portsmouth the work was clearly paying off.” That sense of steady progress has carried them into Abu Dhabi with genuine self-belief.

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Australia are currently keeping their thoughts mostly to themselves. For a team that usually fronts up with opinions, the silence stands out. Their season has been mixed. Five Finals reached, one win, and several that slipped away late. They know they need to lift. They also know the forecast in Abu Dhabi is likely to sit at the lighter end of the scale, and that does not play to their strengths. Something is brewing there, but they are keeping it tight.

Spain provide the spark. Diego Botín speaks with complete candour and seems to thrive on risk. “The crazier it gets, the better for us,” he said earlier in the season, and he meant it. Spain carry the best Finals strike rate in the league and have already spent time on the new 27.5 metre wing. They sit fourth and can still force their way forward, but they have little room for a stumble. When Botín says, “You can create your own chances,” it is less a slogan and more a mission statement for how they race.

France land in Abu Dhabi with a different kind of motivation. Their season has been chopped up by technical issues and injury to their racing rhythm, yet they still found enough form to win in Germany. They know the Championship is out of reach, but they also know they can fight for the podium in this event. They will want to leave the season on a strong note.

Canada sit just behind them and speak with blunt honesty about their own struggles. The European leg hurt them. They know that. They also know they can still beat anyone on the day, and they will want a clean finish to reset their trajectory heading into next year.

SailGP Abu Dhabi now brings all six teams together with the remaining six teams in the fleet, all with very different outlooks. The leaders want control. The chasers want a way in. France and Canada want to salvage something meaningful from a hard year. The final weekend will decide the title, but it will also show which crews can handle a venue where small details and clear heads make all the difference.

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