SailGP's first female driver replaced for Halifax

Waterspeed - Post-sail debrief? See exactly how it went.

Benedict Donovan Deputy Editor

18th June 2026 12:07pm

For the first time since she joined the league, Martine Grael will not be driving for Mubadala Brazil.

The crew lists published on SailGP's website today ahead of this weekend's Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax confirm it. In the driver's seat is the team's strategist Paul Goodison, with Grael appearing to swap into the role he has vacated.

Grael has steered the boat at all 18 events since the Brazilian team joined at the start of Season 5, becoming the first woman to drive an F50 in the league. The double Olympic 49er FX gold medallist made more history in New York in 2025 as the first female driver to win an F50 fleet race.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there's been no great noise made about the league's first female driver being swapped out for a man.

Goodison joined Brazil as coach in January 2025. He helmed for Emirates GBR at two events in 2021, skippered American Magic at the last America's Cup, and now leads the Tudor Team Alinghi challenge for AC38. Whether or not it's connected, the shake-up comes in the wake of the three-boat pile-up in New York involving Italy, the USA and Brazil.

There's a second change, too. Highly regarded coach Paul Brotherton, who joined at the start of the season, appears to be out, replaced by Australia's Jeremy Wilmot – earlier drafted in on loan from the Flying Roos to cover wing trimmer duties for Pietro Sibello in Sydney, then seen once again on the crew list for Rio.

The Foil approached Mubadala Brazil for comment earlier this week. We'll find out more when the team lands in Halifax.