SailGP's race management has confirmed that group racing will be used at the upcoming Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth, with the format set to continue for the rest of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship.
The configuration follows successful trials earlier this season in Auckland and Halifax. It gives race organisers more flexibility as the championship grows, with deployment depending on factors including racecourse size, wind strength, wind stability, and sea state.
Running group racing through the second half of the season also gives teams and organisers a consistent format to prepare for across each race weekend.
For Portsmouth, the fleet has been divided into two seeded groups based on results from the most recent event, with racing following an 'ABBA' schedule.
Group A comprises Los Gallos, Bonds Flying Roos, Black Foils, NorthStar, Red Bull Italy, ROCKWOOL Denmark, and Mubadala Brazil. Group B features Artemis SailGP, Explora Swiss, United States SailGP Team, Germany presented by Deutsche Bank, DS Automobiles Team France, and Emirates Great Britain.
The format suits a championship that is adding teams, while keeping the close, high-speed racing SailGP is built on. With more teams expected to join in 2027, group racing is likely to become the standard across the series.
