Between Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge: The SailGP final!: One million US dollars in prize money: Can Slingsby cash in?

There's no question about it: Tom Slingsby and his Team Australia are heading into the grand finale of the second SailGP season as leaders and top favourites. Next weekend, 26 and 27 March, they and their strongest rivals will be competing for a million US dollars in prize money in San Francisco Bay between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz! The motto: The winner takes it all - those who are beaten will only have hope for better times in the new season.

And there's no question about it: at least Jimmy Spithill and his Team United States as well as Nathan Outteridge and Team Japan still reckon they have a good chance of knocking the Australians off the throne, given the close points gap in the top three. After seven of eight two-day SailGP regatta summits, the Australians lead the standings with 55 points, two points ahead of the USA (53 points) and four points ahead of Japan (51 points). The fourth-placed Spaniards with helmsman Phil Robertson are already twelve points behind Australia on 43 points. Click here for the Season ranking after seven of eight regattas (please click!).

The green and yellow dominators from Down Under have already prevailed four times this season. Slingsby steered them to victory in England, Denmark, Spain and on their own doorstep in Sydney. Outteridge and his crew triumphed twice under the red and white Japanese flag. Jimmy Spithill and the Americans finished second in the standings without a win, but with consistently good results. The final hosts were the first team to start training on the SailGP's F50 projectiles. Off San Francisco, they completed their opening laps on the very spot where Jimmy Spithill achieved the legendary comeback victory against the Kiwis in the 2013 America's Cup with Oracle Team USA. What will happen this time for the strong Australian, who, like back then, is now attacking under the American flag in the SailGP? Spithill's initial outlook is reminiscent of the historic victory nine years ago: "The event is almost sold out. I can hardly wait for the big crowd at the weekend. It's great to see how much interest there is. It's going to be a massive event in front of a home crowd and I'm really looking forward to it. We're the underdogs, but that's not a bad thing in San Francisco..."

Tom Slingsby, World Sailor of the Year, Olympic champion, America's Cup winner, Moth World Champion in a row and down-to-earth jack-of-all-trades under sail, has also completed his first tests in the Californian waters with his crew. The 37-year-old says: "The conditions in the bay are great. The standard on the water is high and it was hard to gain an advantage over our rivals. The US team looks strong, but we are certainly in the game. That bodes well for the grand final." If you fancy a taste of what's to come, click here for the Review of the penultimate regatta of the season in Australia (please click!).

Fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland can watch the races live on 26 and 27 March via SailGP app , at Facebook and with YouTube (please click on each one!). Sailing in theMubadala United States SailGP on both days according to plan between 2 and 3.30 pm local time and therefore from 10 pm German time.