06/09/2026
by Emma Harrison
SailGP has a new name in the winners’ column. Germany by Deutsche Bank SailGP Team claimed their first ever event title on Lake Geneva, defeating the BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team and the home favorites Switzerland SailGP Team in the Final.
The breakthrough came after a tense second day of racing that started in fluky light winds and ended with Erik Heil steering the Germans to a composed victory. It was the moment their fans had been waiting for, adding to the drama of Geneva’s debut on the SailGP calendar.
Geneva Day 2: Betting Lines Tested as Germany Deutsche Bank Rises
Fleet Race 4 set the tone. Heil and his crew judged the line perfectly, kept their F50 foiling longer than rivals in marginal breeze, and crossed first to collect maximum points. In betting terms, it was the first big swing of the day. The Germans, who had opened the weekend as double-figure outsiders, suddenly had their odds dropped dramatically.
Behind them, Ruggero Tita guided the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team to a much-needed second place, also above bookmakers’ expectations, with Nicolai Sehested’s ROCKWOOL Racing SailGP Team banking third.
Fleet Race 5 flipped the picture again. Diego Botin drove Los Gallos SailGP Team to their first win of the weekend, landing value for those who had backed them at 9.52. Sébastien Schneiter delivered for the Swiss with another strong run in second, roared on by the lakeside crowd, while Germany Deutsche Bank proved Race 4 was no one-off, holding third.
Markets had to take note: the Germans were no longer outsiders but genuine Final contenders.
Those results locked the Swiss, Germans, and Aussies into the three-boat showdown. The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, so consistent in Saint-Tropez, fell short after a poor start in Race 5. The France SailGP Team (Les Bleus) couldn’t maintain their Saturday dominance, and Peter Burling’s Black Foils SailGP Team slipped down the table after failing to find pace in the lighter breeze.
The Final: The Germans Hold Their Nerve
Three F50s lined up for the shootout: the Aussies, the Swiss, and the Germans. Tom Slingsby’s BONDS Flying Roos carried both the season lead and the shortest odds heading into the Final. Led by Schneiter the Swiss had home advantage and a crowd eager for a fairytale finish.
But Heil delivered. The Germans launched off the line cleanly, rounded Mark 1 in front, and controlled the angles downwind. A brief drop off the foils opened the door for Slingsby, but when the breeze returned Heil steadied his crew and shut it again.
Crossing the line, Germany’s celebrations marked a turning point. From a team hit with a 12-point penalty earlier this season to event winners in Geneva, their reversal has been dramatic. Slingsby’s Aussies settled for second, while the Swiss completed the podium with third, a result that still displayed their growing consistency this season.
How the Lines Moved
Pre-event, the book leaned heavily toward the BONDS Flying Roos at 4.00, followed by Emirates GBR and the Black Foils. The Germans sat far adrift, well into double digits. Race 4’s win forced a market correction; their odds shortened immediately, though few still saw them going all the way.
Head-to-head spreads carried their own stories. The Swiss were marked as slight favorites over the Italians (1.72 vs 2.10), and Schneiter’s runner-up finish in Race 5 landed right on that price line. Los Gallos, drifting mid-market at 9.52 to take a race, rewarded value hunters with their Fleet Race 5 win.
By the time the Final rolled around, live odds swung back toward the Aussies, reflecting their experience and history of closing on Sundays. But the Germans’ composure at the start flipped that narrative. More recent momentum proved to be more telling than overall team reputation, a reminder that in SailGP, odds can swing just as fast as conditions.
Final Standings – Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix Geneva 2025
- Germany SailGP Team Presented by Deutsche Bank – Event Winners
- BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team (Australia)
- Switzerland SailGP Team
- Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team
- Los Gallos SailGP Team (Spain)
- ROCKWOOL Racing SailGP Team (Denmark)
- France SailGP Team
- Black Foils SailGP Team (New Zealand)
- NorthStar RacingSailGP Team (Canada)
- United States SailGP Team
- Red Bull Italy SailGP Team
- Mubadala BrazilSailGP Team
Takeaway from Geneva
The Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix was always going to be a landmark, Switzerland’s first time hosting SailGP. Even in unfamiliar territory, not many would have predicted Germany would own the spotlight and the pre-race markets showed that. Heil’s precision at the wheel and the crew’s calm execution turned them from long-priced outsiders into headline winners in just two events.
The Aussies remain a benchmark of consistency, finishing second here and holding their season lead on 76 points, just ahead of Emirates GBR on 75 and the Black Foils on 73.
Los Gallos sit fourth on 70 and still in the hunt for Abu Dhabi. For Les Bleus, another mid-fleet finish leaves their hopes fading, while the Swiss can take pride in another Final, showing they now belong in the upper tier.
Geneva highlighted the danger of ignoring long shots. Germany Deutsche Bank’s outright price pre-event looked untouchable, yet two fleet podiums and a Final masterclass flipped that script. The Spanish race win at 9.52 was more proof. The board rewarded those willing to back more current form.
As the 2025 SailGP Season heads to Cádiz, the ‘Big Four’ (the Aussies, GBR, the Black Foils, and Los Gallos) remain the favorites for the $2 million prize. But Geneva proved that new names can rewrite the market, and Germany’s win guarantees the road to Abu Dhabi has more intrigue than ever.
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