SailGP: Grael swaps places with Goodison; Team Germany in attacking mood

In faraway Halifax, this weekend, alongside the Opening weekend of Kiel Week In northern Germany, the halfway point of the sixth SailGP season. On the opening day, Team Artemis and the three-time record holders, the Bonds Flying Roos, dominated the Canadian event. All 13 teams experienced a dramatic first day in challenging light-wind conditions, at the end of which the Swedes and the Australians topped their groups.

SailGP season opener in Halifax: Time limit exceeded – restart

The day’s racing had got off to an unusual start when the opening Group A race had to be abandoned, even though the league leaders, the Bonds Flying Roos, had already crossed the finish line in first place. The Australians had transitioned smoothly into foil mode right from the start and had the fleet under control throughout the race. However, as the leaders only crossed the finish line shortly after the nine-minute time limit for the race had expired, the race committee ordered a restart.

​When the race restarted, the Black Foils got off to the strongest start on their comeback with their new boat after a four-month enforced break. However, Tom Slingsby’s Flying Kangaroos caught up with them before the first mark. From then on, the Australians controlled the field and secured their first race win of the day ahead of Spain’s Los Gallos and New Zealand’s Black Foils.

The opening race in Group B was one of the most thrilling of the day. The US team got off to a perfect start, closely followed by Emirates GBR, but it was the Explora Swiss SailGP Team that stole the show. Having found their rhythm around the halfway point of the race, the Swiss crew, helmed by Sebastian Schneiter, lifted off on their foils, stormed through the field, lapping every boat ahead of them and securing the first race win of the 2026 season in impressive fashion ahead of Team Artemis and Team Germany.

Green-Yellow remain unbeaten at the halfway stage of SailGP in Halifax

​Back in Group A, the Danish Rockwool team got off to a superb start in the penultimate race of the day, but the Bonds Flying Roos once again demonstrated their growing strength, even in lighter winds. Although they struggled at the first mark, the Australians fought their way back through the field, secured another victory and finished the day’s racing with a clean slate, having won both races.

Once again this season, Tom Slingsby and his well-known strong-wind enthusiasts have shown that they can also handle light winds in the foiling racing series SailGP. Peter Burling and the Black Foils finished the first day of racing in Halifax in second place in Group A, ahead of the French team DS Automobiles.

Peter Burling remarked: “The new boat feels great!” The praise was also good news for league boss Russell Coutts, who had given SailGP’s critics a dressing-down last week, and what his highly acclaimed technical team meant. The SailGP technicians were, after this season’s crashes in continuous use.

Brazilians are hoping for a breakthrough

Initially, the SailGP reshuffle within the Brazilian team did not bring about any particularly positive changes. Here, the team’s first and only female helmswoman, Martine Grael, has handed the helm over to team strategist Paul Goodison and taken on his role. The team justified the swap by citing the “performance targets” of the Mubadala Brazil racing team.

With Goodison at the wheel, the South Americans were initially in ninth place, having finished fourth on one occasion and last on another. Nevertheless, Paul Goodison noted: “All in all, it was a reasonably promising day.” Click here for the latest results from this weekend’s Canada Sail Grand Prix.

In last Saturday’s race, Artemis and Emirates GBR were locked in a thrilling neck-and-neck battle at the front of the fleet in their group. Artemis eventually edged out the British team by a narrow margin and, with this race victory, secured the halfway lead in Group B ahead of the Kiwis, the Swiss and the Germans. Helmsman Erik Kosegarten-Heil said afterwards: “It was a tricky day for all the teams. It was also very challenging for the race committee to set a sensible course, because the wind shifted significantly and a front was passing through. It’s not easy…”

"Our starts were fine. Unfortunately, we picked up a penalty against the Americans in the second race. We’ll need to take a closer look at that." Erik Kosegarten-Heil

Four teams – rather than the usual three – will compete in the Halifax final at the end of the fleet races. The top two teams from each group will progress to the decisive race. “We’re starting from scratch. We’re feeling good and have established some good routines over the last few months. We definitely want to go on the attack. Full throttle!”, announced Erik Kosegarten-Heil.

Canada Sail Grand Prix: The result will be decided on Sunday evening

With a touch of regret, the helmsman from Strande near Kiel noted late in the afternoon that ‘champagne conditions’ prevailed on the Halifax course after the broadcast window. “But unfortunately, we can’t choose these moments,” he said of the televised SailGP series with its fixed broadcast times. The Canada SailGP will continue on Sunday evening from 9 pm German time, with two races each for Groups A and B. Commentary for ZDF by 470 class World Championship runner-up Anna Markfort covers the action in Halifax with on-site reporter Felix van den Hövel here.

A summary of the first day of racing at the Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax: