The SailGP Championship makes its first visit to València this weekend, with 13 international teams racing as the battle for places in November’s winner-takes-all Grand Final in Abu Dhabi enters its closing stages.
Racing on Saturday, 5 September, and Sunday will take place on a new course between València’s city beach and harbour breakwater, with only three events remaining before the season finale.
Spain Chases Championship Leaders
Home team Los Gallos arrives in València after back-to-back event victories in Halifax and Portsmouth and is seeking to close a 14-point gap to championship leaders the Bonds Flying Roos.
Bonds on Top – The Bonds Flying Roos lead the SailGP standings heading into València, where rivals have another chance to cut their advantage before the Abu Dhabi finale. Photo: Samo Vidic
Driver Diego Botín said racing in Spain gave the team an added incentive. “It’s a very special feeling,” Botín said. “We have the chance to race at home once a year, and for us and our team it’s an incredible boost.”
Despite Spain’s recent form, the team has yet to reach an event final on home waters.
Strategist Nicole van der Velden said securing a place in the three-boat final was the immediate priority. “We always want to do the best we can at every event and, obviously, we want to win,” she said. “But ultimately, the first thing is to get those two places ahead of us and make the Final.”
Third Grand Final Place Up for Grabs
While the leading teams look to consolidate their positions, the contest for the third and final qualifying place for Abu Dhabi remains open.
Defending 2025 champions Emirates GBR are among the teams under pressure to gain ground in València, with NorthStar, France and the U.S. SailGP Team also involved in the qualification battle.
Final Three Fight – Emirates GBR, New Zealand and championship leaders the Bonds Flying Roos prepare for València as the battle for Abu Dhabi Grand Final places intensifies. Photo: Jason Ludlow
Emirates GBR driver Dylan Fletcher said the margins between reaching and missing recent event finals had been small.
“We’ve obviously not had a good run of it recently, but we were in this position last year, and we pulled it out of the bag with a strong finish,” Fletcher said. “In the last two events we’ve been two points away from the final. It’s fine margins in SailGP, and we’ve just been on the wrong side of them.”
Saturday Start in València
The Spain Sail Grand Prix gets underway at 1.30 pm CEST on Saturday, 5 September, as SailGP enters the final three events on the road to the Abu Dhabi Grand Final in November.
