Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix 2026 Season Grand Final, presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council

A season’s worth of drama, a year of grinding through conditions from Perth’s howling Doctor to Halifax’s frosty chaos, and it all comes down to... a light-wind lottery in the Gulf. Make of that what you will.

Abu Dhabi inherited Grand Final duties from San Francisco in Season 5, and the 2026 calendar keeps it there. The conditions are predictable: flat water, fickle breeze, boats spending uncomfortable amounts of time off the foils.

Speed demons will grumble that a championship shouldn't hinge on whoever catches the right shift at the right moment. That said, Season 5 made a surprisingly strong case for itself. Denmark shook off their usual mid-fleet results to snatch their first event win, and the winner-takes-all final saw all three boats trading the lead before Great Britain ultimately prevailed over Australia and New Zealand. Edge-of-your-seat stuff, even at walking pace.

Light air compresses the fleet, amplifies errors, and keeps overtakes possible deep into the race. It’s not the spectacle San Francisco used to provide, but it’s volatile in its own way. Whether that's a worthy stage for a title decider depends on what you think sailing should look like.

Past winners: New Zealand (Season 4), Denmark (Season 5)