Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix
21
Days
16
Hours
55
Minutes
16
Seconds
11 – 12 Apr 2026
Location
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date/Time
Day 1: 11 Apr 2026 15:00
(19:00 BST)
Day 2: 12 Apr 2026 15:00
(19:00 BST)
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)
| Pos | Team | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Tom Slingsby | 10 |
| 2 |
|
Diego Botin | 9 |
| 3 |
|
Nathan Outteridge | 8 |
| 4 |
|
Taylor Canfield | 7 |
| 5 |
|
Nicolai Sehested | 6 |
| 6 |
|
Erik Heil | 5 |
| 7 |
|
Phil Robertson | 4 |
| 8 |
|
Quentin Delapierre | 3 |
| 9 |
|
Martine Grael | 2 |
| 10 |
|
Giles Scott | 1 |
| 11 |
|
Sébastien Schneiter | 0 |
| 12 |
|
Dylan Fletcher | 0 |
Our Coverage of Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix
The Foil Weekly Wrap - 13 April '26
A clean sweep in Rio, a teenager crowned European champion in Naples, and the Caribbean racing season winding down. Here's what's been happening in the sailing world this week… Rio SailGP took centre stage this week – read Andy...
How the Flying Roos swept the minefield of Guanabara Bay
If you had told Tom Slingsby on Sunday morning that the Bonds Flying Roos would sweep every single race on the final day in Rio de Janeiro, he’d have laughed you off the beach. The Guanabara Bay conditions were a minefield. A...
Four races, four different winners from day one in Rio
After a six-week break, SailGP’s South American debut was met in Rio with light, changeable foiling conditions, making it a tough day for the wing trimmers and flight controllers. Before racing even got underway, all eyes were on...
Rio Sail Grand Prix stat attack: What you need to know
SailGP arrives in South America for the first time this weekend as the Rio Sail Grand Prix hosts the fourth round of the 2026 season. The setting promises to do full justice to the occasion. Guanabara Bay, where Christ the...
Rio SailGP practice day leaves backmarkers still searching for clues
Practice racing on Guanabara Bay delivered a familiar picture at the front of the SailGP fleet - and offered little comfort to those looking to raise their game after a slow start to the season. The fleets were divided into two...
Which winning style will Rio reward this weekend?
For the first time in nearly a decade, the sailing world’s focus shifts back to Rio de Janeiro for the fourth event of the SailGP 2026 season. The venue still carries a certain weight. The memory of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games...
