U.S. SailGP Team Prepares for Portsmouth Race Amid Strong Winds

The U.S. SailGP team, currently fourth on the season leaderboard behind Britain and Spain, is focusing on the upcoming Portsmouth Grand Prix where forecasts predict moderate to fresh southwesterly winds and relatively flat water. Team CEO Mike Buckley said the conditions should allow faster racing, and driver Taylor Canfield’s confidence has risen after the team’s first event win in Sydney and an overall eighth‑place finish in the previous season.

Australia leads the championship and heads into the Abu Dhabi grand final in November, where lighter winds could benefit the U.S. squad. Meanwhile, the British team led by Sir Ben Ainslie is seeking to rebound from a series of setbacks, including a last‑place finish in Rio and legal disputes over past partnerships. Australian rivals Tom Slingsby’s crew has shown strong form, winning multiple races.

SailGP’s high‑speed catamarans have also faced several serious crashes this season, notably a three‑boat pile‑up in New York involving Italy, Brazil and the United States, and earlier collisions in Perth and Auckland. Repair teams, based in Southampton, are prepared to intervene swiftly to restore damaged F50s and keep the competition on schedule.