The Rolex SailGP Championship Race Kicks Off This Weekend in Dubai
by SailGP 22 Nov 05:50 PST
23-24 November 2024
SailGP team drivers (l-r) Nicolai Sehested, Quentin Delapierre, Taylor Canfield, Ruggero Tita, Tom Slingsby, Diego Botin, Martine Grael, Dylan Fletcher, Peter Burling, Giles Scott, Sebastian Schneiter, Erik Heil, at the SailGP 2025 Season Launch Event © Simon Bruty for SailGP
This weekend, exhilarating water racing returns to the iconic city of Dubai, marking the official launch of SailGP’s most extensive season to date.
The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas is poised to deliver a spectacular showdown, featuring longstanding rivalries, notable personalities joining the fleet, and new global partners coming into play.
The expanded 2025 Season ushers in a new era of high-speed, high-tech racing, with stakes higher than ever. Today, SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts announced an increased prize purse of USD $12.8 million available throughout the season.
Coutts stated, “I am excited to announce that prize money has grown to $12.8 million—a figure we plan to increase as we expand commercially. The stakes are elevated, and the rewards for top performers are higher, allowing us to attract and keep the brightest stars in the sport while motivating future athletes to strive for a spot on one of these teams.”
The Rolex SailGP Championship welcomes two new nations this weekend—the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team and Red Bull Italy. With a record-setting fleet of 11 teams ready to race, France will miss the Dubai event, opting to join the fleet in Auckland (the season’s second event) aboard the league’s newest F50 catamaran, which is currently undergoing accelerated development. France will receive compensatory points for the Dubai event.
One notable addition to the new teams includes Martine Grael, who will be the first woman to compete in the Rolex SailGP Championship while racing for Brazil. Discussing the team’s preparations for the weekend, Grael commented, “We’re putting in as much work as possible—this is our eighth day on the water. We are as ready as we can be, having learned a lot so far in Dubai. We’ve been foiling every day and are optimistic about good racing this weekend.”
Ruggero Tita, another gold medalist, will drive for the new Red Bull Italy SailGP Team, while Emirates GBR welcomes Dylan Fletcher back as a driver. SailGP powerhouses Australia and New Zealand have also added new talent to their rosters after losing key team members during a busy transfer season. Australia’s Kyle Langford (wing trimmer) and New Zealand’s Andy Maloney (flight controller) have both joined newly-restructured teams, Italy and Brazil, respectively.
While both trans-Tasman rivals have made experienced appointments—Chris Draper in Australia and Leo Takahashi in New Zealand—three-time SailGP champion Tom Slingsby noted that losing ‘King Kyle’ is significant.
“It’s definitely tough to lose Kyle, but that’s the nature of the sport,” Slingsby said. “We made efforts to keep him, but he received better offers and had to prioritize what is right for him and his family. Losing an integral figure like that will be a challenge for our team.”
The action begins tomorrow, with live racing scheduled from 1400 to 1530 Gulf Time. The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix is set to be a hallmark event on the Middle East sporting calendar, promising the ultimate mix of sport and entertainment—with close-to-shore stadium racing and live post-race festivities featuring Tinie Tempah on Saturday and Craig David on Sunday.
Remaining tickets for the event are available for purchase now at SailGP.com/dubai. For viewing options, visit SailGP.com/watch.
