The Rolex SailGP Championship returns this weekend for the second event of the 2026 Season, with the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland set to deliver fierce, fast-paced racing on the picturesque Waitematā Harbour. With rivalries already heating up after the opening event last month in Perth, teams now head to Auckland eager to reset and stake an early claim in what promises to be one of the most competitive SailGP seasons yet.
Pending final testing – all thirteen international teams are expected to join the startline in Auckland following an extraordinary, around-the-clock global repair effort to return multiple boats to racing condition.
After a dramatic collision with Switzerland cut New Zealand’s season debut short, SailGP Technologies has led an all-hands-on-deck operation to rebuild the Black Foils’ F50 in time for their home event this weekend.
A damaged section of the team’s port hull – a roughly two-meter structural segment sheared off in the impact – was fabricated from scratch in the UK before being shipped to Auckland for final assembly. Specialist technicians have since worked tirelessly to integrate the new hull section, re-plate composite panels and precisely realign control systems, ensuring the boat meets SailGP’s strict safety and performance standards.
Los Gallos – the Spain SailGP Team – will also return to racing in Auckland, following a pre-season training crash that ruled the Season 4 champions out of the Perth opener.
Home-team Black Foils racing in front of a roaring home crowd at the inaugural Auckland SailGP event in January 2025.
The City of Sails is ready to become the City of SailGP once again, as Auckland returns to the Rolex SailGP Championship calendar for the 2026 Season, promising major crowds, high-stakes racing and an action from a full fleet on the tight racecourse.
One of SailGP’s most electric venues, Auckland will transform its iconic harbor into a natural Race Stadium framed by the city skyline. Expanded grandstands and enhanced on-water viewing will bring fans closer than ever to the action.
The tight harbour course and notoriously fickle sea breeze are set to deliver fast, tactical racing – with thrills, spills and close calls expected as Kiwi fans turn out in the masses to support home-team heroes Peter Burling, Blair Tuke, Liv Mackay and the Black Foils.
LEISURE (DJ set) is the headline post-racing entertainment for Day One of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, set to take over Heineken House following the high-adrenaline racing. Limited tickets remain, with fans encouraged to get in quick to avoid missing out.
BRITS: THE TEAM TO WATCH
Defending champions Emirates GBR picked up where they left off in Perth – arriving champions and leaving as the clear benchmark of the fleet. Led by double Olympic Gold Medalist Dylan Fletcher, the British crew mastered the ‘Fremantle Doctor’ to hold off the BONDS Flying Roos and DS Automobiles Team France – but can they keep up their winning streak in the City of Sails? The pressure to beat the Black Foils will be high – particularly after the Kiwis denied the Brits’ their own home victory in Portsmouth last season.
THE 2026 SEASON LEADERBOARD
Whilst Perth saw heavyweights Emirates GBR (first), BONDS Flying Roos (second) and DS Automobiles SailGP Team France (third) in the event final – the fourth and fifth place finishers signalled a shifting order in SailGP, with newcomers Sweden and a resurgent United States emerging as genuine contenders from day one.
The result sets up a fascinating Auckland subplot – with the full fleet back in action, the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix becomes the first test of whether the established powers truly have new challengers on their heels. It also marks the first time Swedish driver Nathan Outteridge will renew his rivalry with Peter Burling on home waters.
Tight, boat-on-boat action defined the Perth racecourse, with Rolex SailGP Championship newcomers Artemis delivering a phenomenal debut result — finishing just shy of the podium in fourth overall.
SailGP is a global racing championship designed to redefine professional sailing. The league operates a centrally organized structure with identical, one-design F50 foiling catamarans and shared performance data, creating a genuinely level playing field where any team can win on their day.
Racing takes place in close-to-shore “stadium” environments, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before and delivering a made-for-television broadcast product. Teams compete across multiple races per event, with points accumulated towards the overall championship standings. Only the top three teams progress to a winner-takes-all Final at each event, where execution under pressure is decisive.
Fans can follow all the action from the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland, across 12 major broadcast territories, as SailGP continues to grow its global audience. Coverage will be available in the UK (TNT Sports), France (Canal+) , Germany (ZDF), Spain (Movistar), Italy (Sky Italia) and Sweden (TV4). Viewers in the Americas can watch via CBS (USA), TSN (Canada), and Globo and Band (Brazil), while Great Sports will broadcast in China . Coverage will also be available on Fox Sports and SBS in Australia, with Sky Sport NZ showing the action in New Zealand.
Commenting ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland, SailGP CEO and Co-Founder, Sir Russell Coutts, said: “The collisions we saw in Perth really tested our resilience, but the response that followed was an incredible effort from the teams and SailGP Technologies to try and get the fleet back racing on the water. From pit lane repairs during the event to the global operation that’s continued since, the work behind the scenes to return these boats to full racing condition has been extraordinary. To have the full fleet back on the start line in Auckland is a testament to the skill and commitment of everyone involved. Now the focus shifts back to the racing, and with fantastic conditions expected this weekend, we’re set for another spectacular SailGP event.”
Peter Burling, Black Foils Driver, said: “Perth obviously wasn’t the start to the season we were hoping for, but if all repairs continue to progress as planned – we should be on the startline this weekend. Coming home gives us a real opportunity to reset and to show what this team is capable of. Racing in front of a home crowd here in Auckland is always our favorite event – Kiwi fans really get behind our team and you can feel that energy out on the water. The support this weekend is going to be massive, and pending final repairs, we’re determined to put in a performance the home crowd can be proud of.”
Diego Botin, Los Gallos Driver, said: “Missing Perth was tough, but now the focus is fully on Auckland and getting our season properly underway. Everyone has worked incredibly hard to be ready for this weekend and we’re excited to be back racing in what are always fantastic conditions here. The level across the fleet is so high this year, so every race matters and we’re coming in determined to fight at the front.”
Engine Eye
160 international Rugby caps and still going – Alun Wyn Jones of Wales is a behemoth in the sport. He has over 160 international caps to his name and he’s still going. He’s played at 4 world cups (2007-2019) which is a record, has played in 4 Lions Tours (2009-2021), which is also a record, and has clocked up over 225 appearances for the Ospreys too. Someone needs to check in his loft for a portrait of himself, because this guy just keeps going and going.
Dance Cannon
None Knows What Happened to Hansie Cronje: People who have been following South African sports for a long time must know that Hansie Cronje was behind match-fixing in 2000. Soon after the dark secret got revealed, he died in a plane crash in 2002. Many experts say it was a planned murder by the criminals behind the scandal. But due to lack of evidence, none can prove the actual cause of death, and it still lingers in the history of South African sports as one of the biggest mysteries.