06/09/2026
by Emma Harrison
More proof that anything can happen in SailGP: the Côte d’Azur gave us four excellent races on Friday, then closed the harbor on Saturday. Incoming thunderstorms forced organizers to cancel Day 2 altogether, leaving the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix event decided on the opening results. Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team took the win, with New Zealand SailGP Team (Black Foils) second and Spain SailGP Team (Los Gallos) third.
Friday on the Water
Day 1 opened with 11 F50 catamarans lined up in flat Mediterranean water and a steady breeze. The BONDS Flying Roos started with a statement, jumping clear off the start and holding their lead to win Fleet Race 1. The Black Foils pressed hard but settled for a podium, while France were handed a start-line penalty that dropped them to the back.
Race 2 saw New Zealand respond, showing their usual acceleration off the line to take the win. Emirates GBR pushed throughout and Los Gallos stayed consistent with another third.
The biggest surprise came in Race 3, when Red Bull Italy surged through to claim their first win of the 2025 Season. The Canadians and the Spanish filled the chasing spots, while the Australians had a less successful race.
Emirates GBR then closed the day with authority, winning Race 4 after punishing mistakes from the BONDS Flying Roos, who collected multiple penalties. That spread of results left the leaderboard tight: GBR on 31 points, New Zealand 30, and Los Gallos 29 after finishing in the top three in every race.
How the Lines Moved
Pre-race markets leaned toward the Black Foils and the BONDS Flying Roos, both priced around 4.00 before the first start. GBR sat just behind at 4.88, while Los Gallos offered mid-market value at 7.41. The Italians, seen as a long shot at 33.33, upset those lines with their Fleet Race 3 victory, a result that briefly shifted live markets toward the possibility of another upset.
Spain’s podium streak across three races also meant their implied odds to make the Final, If Day 2 had gone ahead, would have shortened dramatically. Meanwhile, the Danish vs the Germans head-to-head hinted at a narrative of disruptors against home advantage, with the Danes’ slight favoritism in the market backed up by stronger execution on Friday.
Head-to-head prices reflected just how close margins were: New Zealand vs the Aussies opened level at 1.90 each, while the Swiss were slight favorites over the Italians at 1.72 vs 2.10. Most of those spreads proved accurate, with matchups decided in the opening exchanges rather than at the finish.
Storm Halts Racing on Day 2
Day 2 never left the dock. Race officials called off the Saturday schedule in Saint-Tropez as thunderstorms built over the coast. Four races were planned, plus the Final, but safety closed the event before the fleet even launched. Full-day cancellations are rare in SailGP, which added weight to the call and confirmed just how serious the weather risk was.
That meant Friday’s points stood as the full result. Emirates GBR claimed the 10 Championship points, New Zealand added 9, and Los Gallos secured 8. As of now, the cancellation has left both standings and markets where they were after Day 1.
Final Standings
- Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team – 31 points
- New Zealand SailGP Team (Black Foils) – 30 points
- Spain SailGP Team (Los Gallos) – 29 points
- Australia SailGP Team (BONDS Flying Roos) – 28 points
- Red Bull Italy SailGP Team – 27 points
- Canada SailGP Team (NorthStar) – 26 points
- France SailGP Team (Les Bleus) – 24 points
- Switzerland SailGP Team – 22 points
- Denmark SailGP Team (ROCKWOOL Racing) – 21 points
- United States SailGP Team – 18 points
- Brazil SailGP Team (Mubadala Brazil) – 17 points
Takeaway from Saint-Tropez
The French Riviera offered a reminder that SailGP is as dependent on conditions as it is on the athletes’ performance. Emirates GBR made the most of Friday’s four races, taking control early and holding position when the weather shut the door. New Zealand stayed close, while Los Gallos confirmed their ability to stack podiums without stealing the spotlight.
The BONDS Flying Roos, despite their opening win, paid the price for inconsistency. Red Bull Italy’s upset highlights the risk of writing off the outsiders too quickly. And for Les Bleus, a home event offered little reward, penalties and poor starts leaving them mid-fleet.
The result also paints the picture for the 2025 SailGP Season. Emirates GBR’s win pushes them firmly into the “Big Four” alongside the Australians, New Zealand, and Los Gallos, while Les Bleus’ failure on home waters dents their outside hopes of reaching Abu Dhabi.
With Geneva next, the battle at the top looks closer than ever, and Saint-Tropez showed again that even long shots can leave their mark on the board, and sometimes, the weather decides the rest.
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