Artemis SailGP Team made an immediate impression at the SailGP 2026 season opener in Perth, finishing fourth overall in their first event of Season 6 under skipper Nathan Outteridge.
Against a backdrop of disruption elsewhere in the fleet, Artemis stayed composed and competitive throughout the weekend. After a challenging opening race, the team quickly found rhythm, delivering a second place in Fleet Race 2 before backing it up with back to back wins in Fleet Races 3 and 4. The results underlined the team’s pace and ability to operate at the front of the fleet in demanding Fremantle conditions.
While the latter stages of the regatta produced mixed outcomes, Artemis remained firmly in the hunt, closing fleet racing on 43 points, fourth overall. A difficult final fleet race ultimately cost them a podium finish, but did little to detract from a highly encouraging debut.
For a newly assembled crew with limited time together, Perth highlighted both capability and potential. Two race wins, strong mid regatta consistency, and visible improvement across the weekend positioned Artemis as a team capable of challenging established front runners as the season develops.
Outteridge has said returning to SailGP felt natural, particularly with the season opening in Perth. Central to the rebuild was assembling the right mix of experience and culture, not simply speed. Key appointments include New Zealander Andy Maloney as flight controller and Britain’s Chris Draper in a senior sailing role, sailors Outteridge knows well from previous SailGP and America’s Cup campaigns.
Draper adds further depth following recent seasons with Australia and Canada, while Maloney described the move to Artemis as a natural progression in an increasingly competitive league. The wider crew features a strong Scandinavian and European core, including Julia Gross, whose professional pathway began in the Artemis youth programme.
Early Perth training exposed the fine margins of SailGP, including a high speed incident that ejected Maloney from his pod, reinforcing the challenges of limited preparation time in extreme conditions.
Despite that, Artemis leave Perth with the immediate focus shifts to consistency, reducing low scoring races, sharpening execution, and converting front running pace into repeatable results.
Perth highlighted what is already building into a disrupted, highly-competitive 2026 season. I’d be looking in my rearview mirror if I was Emirates GBR’s Dylan Fletcher, not for the BONDS Flying Roos or the BlackFoils but for Artemis. Season 6 may yet develop into a genuine championship campaign.
