Fremantle's reputation for making sailors earn every point showed up early, with the SailGP season opener producing injuries, a major equipment casualty, and the arrival of a new team with the potential to reshape the fleet hierarchy before a race had been sailed.
Perth marks the first stop of the 2026 campaign, and the venue wasted no time showing its character. From shore the racecourse resembles a stadium, but out on the water it is something else entirely. Short chop, steep wave faces, and the persistent influence of the Fremantle Doctor combine to make small errors expensive.
Spain's campaign at Perth was over before it began. Significant damage to the team's F50 during practice ruled the Spanish squad out of racing at this event, and their attention now shifts to Auckland in mid February, when the SailGP tour moves on to its next stop.
The build-up also extracted a physical toll from other teams. Artemis sailor Chris Draper sustained facial injuries during training, with visible damage to his lips and mouth. Across the fleet, conversation in the paddock kept returning to hard landings, nose dives, and the punishment crews absorb when conditions sharpen without warning.
Australia had its own setback when Ian Jensen injured his knee during a late practice gybe. He was undergoing assessment, with Glenn Ashby confirmed as cover should Jensen be unable to take his place on the water.
Artemis enters the competition as an entirely new presence in the fleet. New teams are rarely expected to threaten the established order immediately, yet the early signals around Artemis have been sufficiently encouraging that no one in the middle of the field appears to be treating them as a passenger. That uncertainty adds a particular edge to the opening rounds of a long season, where points lost early are hard to claw back.
Perth also represents a fresh start for the three teams that defined the 2025 title fight. Great Britain arrives as defending champion, having clinched the title in December. Australia opens 2026 racing on home waters, a point of some significance given the side finished second overall last season. New Zealand begins from third, carrying a settled crew and a clear intent to convert the strong moments that marked their 2025 campaign into outright regatta victories.
