A day for the few: five races, five winners
The Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix opened on Saturday, September 19, with one of the most unpredictable days of the season. On Lake Geneva, the wind blew light and kept shifting direction, dropping in gusts to around 5 km/h. The result was a rare spectacle: five races sailed and five different winners, each team finding its moment in the tricky conditions.
Geneva is the only fresh-water venue on the circuit, ringed by the Alps, and it always springs this kind of trap. Read the gusts well and you gained precious metres; misread them and you sat still, watching rivals glide ahead.
The Swiss delight the home crowd
The moment of the day belonged to the hosts. The Explora Journeys Swiss SailGP Team, led by Sébastien Schneiter, reached the podium in two of the three races and claimed the first home victory in its history, in the second race of Group B. Around 10,000 people watched from the shores of the lake.
"It was a tricky day," Schneiter summed up. "But we bounced back and had a good last race." The Swiss team ended the day right at the top of Group B, proving that knowing the home wind is worth its weight in gold on such a shifty lake.
How day one finished
Group A managed to complete only two of its three scheduled races, while Group B sailed all three. At the end of the opening day, the leaders stood like this:
- Group A: Rockwool Racing and Artemis, tied on 6 points, followed by DS Automobiles France and Los Gallos (Spain), on 5.
- Group B: Bonds Flying Roos (Australia) out front on 10 points, ahead of the Black Foils (New Zealand) on 9, and Emirates GBR and Explora Swiss, tied on 8.
The day's wins were spread across the fleet: Artemis and Rockwool won in Group A, while NorthStar (Canada), the Swiss of Explora and the Australian leaders Bonds Flying Roos took the Group B races.
Grael debuts for the USA and Brazil opens a new era
For Brazilian fans, the stop carries two extra reasons to watch, both in Group A. Martine Grael, a two-time Olympic champion, made her debut at the helm of the United States SailGP Team, called up at short notice as interim driver in place of Taylor Canfield, sidelined after breaking his collarbone. Alongside her sails American Anna Weis, forming the first all-female pairing to compete in the same boat in SailGP history.
On the other side, Mubadala Brasil began its rebuild under Paul Goodison, now the team's driver, with fellow two-time Olympic champion Kahena Kunze on board. Brazil and the United States ended the opening day in the lower part of Group A and go into Sunday needing points to dream of the fight for a place.
What is at stake on Sunday
The decision comes on Sunday, September 20. Two more races are still scheduled for each group before the Grand Final, sailed by the top two from each group in a single four-boat, winner-takes-all race. The start of the decider is set for 3:30 p.m. local time.
With three stops left in the 2026 season, only Australia, Tom Slingsby's Bonds Flying Roos, has secured a place in the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi in November, worth 2 million dollars. Everything else on the table is still open, promising an electric finish in Geneva.
Fact file
SailGP, Geneva stop (Switzerland)
September 19 and 20, 2026, on Lake Geneva
11th of the 13 stops in the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship season
Broadcast and information at SailGP.com/Watch
By: Redação Mundo Mar
Photo: Foto: SailGP
