SailGP Portsmouth adopts new group format to boost safety

The SailGP series will resume in Portsmouth on July 25‑26 for the second half of its sixth season. After three serious collisions earlier in the year that injured sailors and forced teams out for months, CEO Russell Coutts announced that all qualification races will now be run in a group‑stage format to reduce crash risk.

The 13‑team fleet is divided into two groups of seven and six using an ABBA‑style seeding based on the previous event’s results. The top two crews from each group will advance to a four‑boat final, a change first tested successfully in Halifax. Over 10,000 spectators are expected each race day.

Team Germany entered the event eager to attack, while the defending British crew, featuring Olympic medalists Dylan Fletcher and Hannah Mills, faces pressure to retain its title after a mixed previous season. The new format and safety focus aim to keep the high‑speed foiling competition both exciting and safer for all participants.