Just seven weeks after winning the Rolex SailGP Championship’s 2025 Season Grand Final – and the $2m prize – Emirates GBR is back in action for the opener of the 2026 Season. The brand new season kicks off with a brand new event, as SailGP makes its debut in Perth, Western Australia, this weekend (17/18 January). The 13 SailGP teams have been training in Perth this week and experiencing some of the hectic conditions the venue has to offer.
The Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG is expected to bring some of the most extreme racing conditions SailGP has ever seen, as Perth is renowned for being the home of the Fremantle Doctor, a powerful summer sea breeze that arrives like clockwork every afternoon. With the Doctor providing winds of up to 45kmh. crews will be pushing their F50 race boats to the limit as they fly around the Fremantle course at speeds of more than 100kmh. Emirates GBR is hoping the local knowledge of its Flight Controller and Fremantle resident, Luke Parkinson, will give them an advantage on the course.
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher said: “We’ve been training in Perth for the last couple of days and we’ve had some pretty wild conditions. It was a baptism of fire on our first day out on the water here on Tuesday, as the Fremantle Doctor was in full flow and it was wet and wild out there. SailGP is all about risk and reward and seeing how far you can push these F50s while also making sure we keep the boat and ourselves in one piece. We’re really lucky to have Luke Parkinson who lives in Fremantle as our Flight Controller as he’s unbelievably good and has invaluable experience in these conditions.”
Parkinson said: “We’re pumped to be here in Perth and pretty excited to get a run in the Fremantle Doctor this weekend. It should be pretty windy and wavy out there, so hopefully I can keep the F50 up in the air and out of the water. It will be awesome to be racing in front of my friends and family and have that support in the crowd for Emirates GBR.”
As well as a new venue to race in, Emirates GBR also has a new addition to its race crew, with Stuart Bithell MBE joining as Wing Trimmer. The signing reunites Bithell with Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher for the first time since they won Olympic gold together at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Fletcher said: “It’s been really good to get Stu on-board, the last time we sailed together was when we won gold in Tokyo, so it’s great to be back in action on an F50 together. Obviously there’s a lot to learn and different playbooks, but it’s been awesome training together. He’s a really big character and lots of fun so we’re excited to get racing out there this weekend and see what we can do.”
After becoming the first team the complete the treble – winning the $2m Grand Final, SailGP’s environmental and social-focused Impact League, and topping the season points table – Emirates GBR is aware it will be a target to beat for other teams.
Emirates GBR Strategist Hannah Mills OBE said: “It’s definitely a different experience coming into a new season as reigning champions. It does feel a bit like we have a target on our backs, but we are just treating it like any other event and focusing on our own performance.”
The 2026 Season will see a record number of teams take to the SailGP startline, with 13 teams competing at 13 events – and with SailGP’s prize purse at a whopping USD $12.8 million, every decision on the racecourse now carries real financial weight. The 13-event calendar spans iconic sailing destinations, delivering high-octane racing on some of the world’s most spectacular waters. The 2026 Season sees the return of fan-favourites like Auckland, Portsmouth and New York, while also welcoming exciting new venues such as Perth and Rio de Janeiro to the fold.
The 2026 Season kicks off with the Oracle Perth Sial Grand Prix presented by KPMG on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January. UK viewers can watch the adrenaline-fuelled action live on TNT Sports from 05:00 GMT both days.
