Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix

SailGP finally arrives in South America, and it’s picked one of the most visually stunning venues in world sport to do it. Guanabara Bay delivers the postcard shots, with Sugarloaf Mountain rising from the waterline and Christ the Redeemer watching from the hills.

Racing will take place on the same waters used for the 2016 Olympic medal races – familiar territory for some, though that experience may count for less than expected. It's shifty and gusty, with local topography effects making it difficult to find a consistent approach, even for sailors who've raced these waters in other classes. And because SailGP has never raced here before, teams arrive without their usual bank of venue-specific data to draw on.

This stop was supposed to happen last season, but wing connector problems that plagued the fleet after San Francisco forced a late cancellation. That delay may have only stoked local excitement. Brazilian sailing fans are loud, passionate, and have a local hero to rally behind: Martine Grael, Olympic gold medallist and daughter of the legendary Torben Grael, with seven Olympic medals between them. She’ll be driving for Mubadala Brazil on home water, with a partisan crowd expecting fireworks.

After years of latent support waiting for a stage, Rio now gets its moment.

Past winners: N/A (new venue)