Rate the fleet: Andy Rice on Portsmouth SailGP

Portsmouth is the first time we’ve seen all 13 teams complete a SailGP weekend – whilst avoiding any serious injuries to the sailors or breakage to the F50s. A really solid weekend for the league; actually more than that, outstanding. 

Even with a 7:6 imbalance between the two qualifying Groups A and B, the cream rose to the top. With a record five races per group across the two days (and 10 different winning teams from those 10 races) the finishing order is mostly deserved. 

Portsmouth delivered one of the best events of the season, one to rival that thrilling weekend in Perth back in January. So, who excelled and who faltered in Portsmouth? Here are my rankings for this windy weekend.

Finished: 2nd

Sweden sailed consistently enough across the weekend that they didn’t need to push the edges or gamble for small advantages. In that respect, their approach closely mirrored the way that Nathan Outteridge and the crew competed in Halifax, showing a growing mastery of this group format. While a split of gybes at the top of the course allowed Spain to slip past the Swedes during the final, Outteridge appeared unfazed by again finishing runner-up to the Spanish, exactly as he had done in Halifax. Outteridge preferred to play the percentages, doing precisely what was required to ensure Sweden remains firmly on track for the Grand Final by the end of the year.

Verdict: A great job taking the risk (if such a thing is possible) out of SailGP racing

Finished: 4th

Switzerland are rapidly transitioning from a surprise package who occasionally produce a spark of brilliance, into a consistently delivering team. The Swiss made exceptional use of their pre-race practice time, pushing hard and putting the grinders under the pumps during that crucial training period before racing got underway. This preparation set up Sébastien Schneiter and his crew well for the racing, reflected in their excellent management of the course geometry – a direct dividend of the hard yards put in during practice. Just as the USA previously shifted from dark horses to dependable contenders, Switzerland are now making that exact same leap.

Verdict: Biggest improvers of the season so far

Finished: 1st

If there is a chink in Spain’s armour, it remains their starting. Yet that vulnerability hardly bothered Diego Botín. After crossing the start line 2.6 seconds late in the Grand Final and trailing his three rivals at Mark One, Botín relied on devastating downwind speed and short-notice maneuvering to work back into contention. On the subsequent downwind leg, Spain rolled past Artemis to seize the lead and take the overall victory. It feels slightly harsh to rank the event winners third, but if forced to nitpick, their starts remain a clear weak spot.

Verdict: Poor starters, but the fastest downwind and no weaknesses in open racing

Finished: 3rd

Canada enjoyed a very solid opening day in Portsmouth except for that first-to-fifth mistake under pressure from the Spanish in the second race. With that howler, the Canadians would have comfortably finished the day as the top boat, but even then, their actual scorecard of 1-5-2 put Giles Scott’s crew in strong contention for Sunday. When the pressure reached its peak in the final group race – a tense four-way battle between Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Canada – Scott and Co. demonstrated their ability to match – and beat – the best. The data shows Canada were the best starters of the weekend, a strong endorsement for bringing multiple match racing world champion Ian Williams into the coaching boat alongside chief coach Joe Glanfield. Furthermore, the telemetry revealed Billy Gooderham pushed ride height higher than any other flight controller, rewarding Canada with excellent pace around the course.

Verdict: Best starters of the weekend, and a daring dollop of ride height

Finished: 5th

In only their second event back in competition, New Zealand should take encouragement from being nearly back on the pace. However, much like their tight battle with the Spanish in Halifax, the Kiwis just missed out on advancing from the group into the four-boat final. Peter Burling and the Black Foils had their moments in that spectacular final group race, but it was not quite enough to secure a spot in the top four. With Louis Sinclair still making a recovery from his Auckland crash injury, New Zealander Stewart Dodson is working hard to integrate himself into the crew as the replacement grinder.

Verdict: Only a click away from their best, and it won’t be long before they do make it through to a four-boat final

Finished: 6th

The USA came fast out of the gate in strong winds, winning their opening race easily and further cementing their belief that they can now perform in all conditions, including the windy stuff. A year ago, the Americans sat 12th and last at this event, so it is a mark of their massive improvement that a sixth-place finish feels slightly disappointing for Taylor Canfield and crew. It should be noted they were operating without grinder Pete Kinney, who was sidelined following an injury during M32 catamaran racing in Florida, with Mac Agnese stepping into the breach for an all-round solid team performance.

Verdict: Steady showing by the USA, still in the hunt for a place in the Abu Dhabi grand final this November

Finished: 9th

Portsmouth marked the 50th SailGP event for Nikolai Sehested, though the Danish driver likely expects to be higher up the overall rankings than he finds himself this season. Nevertheless, the Danes proved their potential in Race 3, executing a clean start from the top end of the line, taking the lead at Mark 1, and comfortably defending it all the way to the finish. It is precisely these moments Sehested needs to build upon heading into the tail end of the season.

Verdict: Currently just making up the numbers, although a race win offers hope of more

Finished: 10th

Germany’s victory in Race 2 marked the high point for Erik Heil, who came frustratingly close to securing another win after leading around Mark 1 ahead of Great Britain. However, during a gybe, wing trimmer Kevin Peponnet lost his footing while crossing the boat, triggering a near-capsize. Germany would have loved to be building more momentum ahead of their home event in Sassnitz in a few weeks’ time. Heil and his crew are going to be relying on the roar of the local crowd to lift a team that is not yet firing on all cylinders.

Verdict: Well deserved race win for Germany on Sunday, and at least they managed to narrowly avoid a boat-breaking capsize near Spitbank Fort

Finished: 7th

Australia endured their worst performance of the season so far, with Tom Slingsby and his crew unable to produce their usual magic on Saturday. Looking remarkably ordinary, Slingsby admitted to The Foil that evening that their poor standing simplified the strategy for Sunday: go out and win both group races. They duly dominated the start of Sunday's first race to lead wire-to-wire. In the final group race, they nailed the start again – only to be judged a fraction of a metre, or precisely 0.00 seconds, over the line. The resulting OCS penalty forced them to drop behind Brazil, a particularly punishing setback. Had Australia executed that start cleanly, it’s not that much of a stretch to think that they would have won the race, earned a spot in the final, and potentially taken out the regatta. Instead, that rich seam of good fortune – which has got the Aussies out of trouble in marginal situations this season – failed to materialise in Portsmouth.

Verdict: Australia have been riding their luck this season, but not this time

Finished: 8th

France continues to suffer for reasons that go back to their collision in Auckland, where New Zealand lost control and nosedived into Quentin Delapierre’s F50. The resulting injuries to two crew members have set the team back significantly. While Manon Audinet came back on as team strategist in Halifax, the French have been forced to work through different options on wing trim after Leigh McMillan’s long recovery from his Auckland injury. While Moth World Champion Enzo Balanger is serving his apprenticeship in this vital role, the French boat lacks the locked-in stability and raw speed that it displayed at the season opener in Perth. Delapierre and his crew are left trying to salvage what they can from the remainder of the season.

Verdict: France have lost their mojo, and it’s not entirely their fault

Finished: 12th

Red Bull Italy provided their usual share of dramatic warm-up laps, complete with wheelies and alarming leaps out of the water, but overall progress on the race track remains scarce for Phil Robertson and his crew. Team boss Jimmy Spithill must be getting impatient for improvement, and is no doubt already thinking who to target from rival crews as the transfer market opens up toward the end of the season.

Verdict: Time to crack open another Red Bull

Finished: 13th

Brazil, meanwhile, continue to struggle through 2026 after emerging as the biggest losers in last season’s transfer market. Following a brief experiment in Halifax with Paul Goodison on the helm and Martine Grael on strategy, the two returned to their standard roles in Portsmouth. However, fundamental issues remain to be sorted before this team can realistically challenge the top half of the leaderboard. In the press conference Martine Grael said she was not focused on the result so much as the team working well together. It was a good answer, and the right focus for the team. But it’s very hard work trying to sort out these problems in the harsh glare of the SailGP spotlight with minimal practice time available. However they’re spending their time out of the F50 in between events, it’s not working.

Verdict: Time to book some training time in Pensacola, with a new F50 about to be shipped from Southampton to the American Magic training base in Florida

Finished: 11th

While on paper, Emirates GBR’s last-place finish in Rio de Janeiro stands as their worst result of the season, the British will be far more concerned by their inability to perform in windy conditions on home waters in front of 20,000 fans. Dylan Fletcher voiced his frustration over the onboard comms, complaining during practice about "too many cooks" - later clarifying to The Foil that he was trying to prevent others from encroaching on Hannah Mills' strategic role. On Sunday, a frustrated Fletcher was heard asking, "Why are we losing?" as the British boat repeatedly came off worse in marginal situations against boats they’d usually expect to sail past. In a one-design fleet, the equipment is rarely to blame; rather, the team is currently failing to click as a unit. Though they have dropped to fifth in the overall standings, a quick turnaround would still give them a viable shot at making the Grand Final to defend their 2025 season title.

Verdict: Yet to hit the reset button. Early season dominance has become a distant memory