The 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship opener in Perth was dramatic from the first start. New Zealand is out of the weekend after a collision with Switzerland in race one.
Artemis leads the event after winning two races on day one. The U.S. team sits second on points, ahead of Sweden, with France third. All three are tied on 31 points heading into Sunday. The race was effectively over early for New Zealand and Switzerland. The two F50s collided on the second leg of the opening fleet race. New Zealand’s Black Foils suffered serious stern damage. They took on water after being hit from behind by the Swiss entry.
Peter Burling said onshore: “Super tough day for us – we did everything we could to keep clear and didn’t expect to be in this situation.” He added that the crew is “interested in the outcome of the racing‑rule hearing”. Burling was penalised eight points for breaching rule 14 on avoiding contact.
Swiss driver Sébastien Schneiter, visibly shaken, said: “The focus is on tomorrow – we knew this season would be challenging and it's not going to be the last time we will see those moments. For us, it’s about how we can bounce back from this. We are super motivated to get back out there tomorrow and grow as a team from this.”
DS Automobiles Team France won race two, leading from the start. Quentin Delapierre’s crew maintained their lead against Artemis, who charged from ninth to second.
Race three saw Nathan Outteridge secure his first Artemis win after overtaking the French. Outteridge followed up with a fourth‑race victory, clinching the day’s top points.
Outteridge said: “Yeah, it wasn't really expected, like there has been a bit of hype about what we can do as a team and an internal pressure to come in and do well and after the first race, it wasn’t looking too well so it was nice to bounce back and have three really good races to finish the day off.” The U.S. SailGP Team also impressed. Taylor Canfield’s crew secured three podiums and a fourth in race two.
Canfield said, “With how hectic the day was for everyone, we are really pleased with how we sailed. We kept it rock solid all the way around the track and just chipped away at it. A few ups and downs in the races, but always ended up on a high.”
Twelve national teams started day one in 25 km/h breeze and tricky conditions. Spain, damaged in practice, will not start tomorrow, leaving 11 teams racing.
Tight at the top in Perth as Artemis, USA and France share the lead after a dramatic opening day of SailGP racing.
The Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix, presented by KPMG, returns Sunday, 18 th of January at 13:00 local time. Racing details are at SailGP.com/Watch.
