11 of 13 SailGP teams mathematically remain in contention for $2 million prize as U.S. holds third spot by one point over Sweden’s Artemis. Here’s what you need to know.
With three events remaining in the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship, the Race to Abu Dhabi – which will feature the season’s top three teams in a Grand Final – is heating up. Eleven of 13 SailGP teams mathematically remain in contention for the $2 million prize, barring penalties.
Australia’s Bonds Flying Roos (85 points) and Spain’s Los Gallos (68) hold the top two spots on the leaderboard, while third place remains almost any team’s to claim. The U.S. SailGP Team’s (56) recent jump to the third-place position in Sassnitz marks the latest major shift in the race to the Grand Final, with the U.S. now just one point ahead of fourth-place Artemis (55) and five points clear of fifth-place Emirates GBR (51).
Here is a closer look at the race to Abu Dhabi, including how it works, its history and who remains in contention.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship will culminate in a winner-takes-all Grand Final at the end of November, featuring the top three teams on the season leaderboard. The championship leaderboard is determined by teams’ results throughout the season; points at each event are awarded to the top 10 teams based on their finishing positions across a series of fleet races.
The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix presented by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council will take place from November 28-29. Teams will compete in a series of fleet races on Saturday and Sunday to determine the event winner. Points will then be added to the overall Rolex SailGP Championship standings to determine the top three teams that will then compete in the winner-takes-all Grand Final race with $2 million on the line.
The remaining three events on the calendar – Geneva, Dubai and Abu Dhabi – offer multiple opportunities to gain ground, or see a Grand Final position slip away.
WHO’S WON BEFORE?
The Bonds Flying Roos hold three of the five SailGP titles awarded thus far, with only five of the current 13 teams having qualified for the Grand Final previously.
Here is a breakdown of the Grand Final results from each season:
2025: 1. Emirates GBR 2. Bonds Flying Roos 3. Black Foils
2024: 1. Los Gallos 2. Bonds Flying Roos 3. Black Foils
2023: 1. Bonds Flying Roos 2. Black Foils 3. Emirates GBR
2022: 1. Bonds Flying Roos 2. Japan 3. U.S.
2019: 1. Bonds Flying Roos 2. Japan 3. China
WHO’S IN CONTENTION IN 2026?
The Bonds Flying Roos enter the final three events as the clear team to beat, having already secured their spot in the Grand Final with 85 points – 17 clear of Los Gallos and 20 ahead of the U.S. Australia has won five of the 10 events contested this season and remains the only team to have qualified for every Grand Final since the Rolex SailGP Championship began in 2019. Led by driver and Olympic gold medalist Tom Slingsby, the Flying Roos are firmly in control of their Grand Final destiny.
Los Gallos have emerged as Australia’s closest challenger. Led by Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist Diego Botin, Spain is finding its stride at the right time, having won in Halifax in June and Portsmouth in July, and finishing as runner-up in Sassnitz last month. The 2024 champions are 12 points clear of the third-place U.S. SailGP Team.
Beyond the top two, the battle is wide open for the final spot, as only five points separate the U.S. SailGP Team in third from Emirates GBR in fifth, putting three teams within striking distance of the final three. The U.S. team — last on the 2025 leaderboard — has taken advantage of light-wind events to make a significant turnaround this season with two event wins for the first time (Sydney, Valencia) and are chasing their first Grand Final appearance since 2022. But in Geneva, they will be without driver Taylor Canfield as well as Harry Melges IV as they recover from injuries.
Artemis, led by driver Nathan Outteridge, have impressed in their debut season, but are still searching for their first event win. Other than SailGP’s inaugural season, no team has qualified for the Grand Final in its first season in the league.
DS Automobiles France and Canada’s NorthStar SailGP Team are also firmly in the fight but with some ground to make up. France set a new speed record of 107.63 km/hour in Sassnitz, while NorthStar has reached three of the last five event finals, giving both teams strong momentum heading into the final stretch.
The climb is incredibly steep for Germany by Deutsche Bank (35), Denmark’s ROCKWOOL Racing (32), Explora Journeys Swiss (32) and Red Bull Italy (30), but all technically remain in the hunt, while New Zealand’s Black Foils (21) – three-time consecutive Grand Finalists – and Mubadala Brazil (8) have been mathematically eliminated from contention.
WHERE & WHEN IS THE GRAND FINAL?
The 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Final presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council will take place from November 28-29, when the top three teams on the season leaderboard will battle in a winner-takes-all showdown for the $2 million championship prize.
A total of $3.2 million USD in prize money is up for grabs across the weekend, including $800,000 USD for the event winner, $400,000 USD for the Rolex SailGP Championship season points winner and $2 million USD for the winner of the Grand Final race.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT?
The next stop on the championship calendar is the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix | Geneva, from September 19-20, when SailGP returns to Lake Geneva for the second consecutive year for the final event in its European swing. With the season entering its decisive stretch, the event represents a major opportunity for teams to gain valuable points with just two events remaining afterward.
Racecarmarine race an Open 7.50 race boat - Cool Runnings - with Racecarmarine branding in a number of events on the South Coast of the UK and have a good understanding of the marketing requirements for businesses in the marine sector. Contact us for details on how we can help with your project.