Nathan Outteridge's Artemis SailGP Team wasted no time announcing themselves at the Season 6 opener in Perth, posting a fourth-place overall finish in their first event of the campaign.
What made the result striking was how composed the team remained as disruption rippled through the rest of the fleet across the weekend. The opening race was tough, but Artemis responded immediately. A second place in Fleet Race 2 was followed by back-to-back victories in Fleet Races 3 and 4, results that confirmed both the boat's pace and the crew's ability to perform at the sharp end of the fleet in demanding Fremantle conditions.
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The latter stages of the regatta brought mixed fortunes, and a difficult final fleet race ultimately denied Artemis a podium. Closing fleet racing on 43 points, the team finished fourth overall. That final stumble aside, little else from the weekend gave cause for concern.
For a newly assembled crew with limited time together on the water, Perth revealed considerable capability. Two race wins, solid mid-regatta consistency, and a clear upward trajectory across the event placed Artemis firmly in the conversation as potential front-runners as Season 6 takes shape.
Outteridge has spoken about returning to SailGP feeling natural, particularly with the season opening in Perth. His approach to rebuilding the team centred not simply on finding speed, but on assembling the right blend of experience and culture. Two appointments in particular reflect that thinking. New Zealander Andy Maloney joins as flight controller, while Britain's Chris Draper takes a senior sailing role. Both are sailors Outteridge knows well from previous SailGP and America's Cup campaigns.
Draper brings additional depth following recent seasons with the Australian and Canadian teams, and Maloney has described the move to Artemis as a natural progression within an increasingly competitive league. The broader crew carries a strong Scandinavian and European character, and includes Julia Gross, whose professional sailing career began in the Artemis youth programme.
Pre-regatta training in Perth offered an early reminder of just how unforgiving the SailGP environment can be. A high-speed incident during those sessions ejected Maloney from his pod, underlining the fine margins the team is working within and the challenges that come with limited preparation time in extreme conditions.
None of that dampened what Artemis took away from the weekend. The immediate priority heading into the rest of the season is consistency: cutting out the low-scoring races, sharpening execution under pressure, and turning front-running pace into results that stack up across a full event.
Perth also offered a broader signal about where Season 6 is heading. The 2026 campaign is already shaping up as disrupted and fiercely competitive, and Artemis have positioned themselves as a genuine factor in it. Dylan Fletcher of Emirates GBR would do well to check his mirrors, not for the BONDS Flying Roos or the BlackFoils, but for Artemis. Season 6 may yet develop into a genuine championship campaign for this team.
