Racing

Grand Final Race Tightens on Lake Geneva as Grael Joins U.S. SailGP Team

By Sailing Times Newsroom·20 September 2026·6 min read

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — The battle for the Rolex SailGP Championship Grand Final is entering a critical stage as SailGP returns to Lake Geneva this weekend, with only three events remaining in the 2026 season.

The Swiss venue will host the 11th event of the 13-event season, with teams fighting to secure one of the final places in the winner-takes-all Grand Final in Abu Dhabi in November.

Only Australia’s Bonds Flying Roos have already secured their place in the final. With all but two teams still mathematically in contention, the pressure is mounting as the championship heads into its final phase.

Schneiter Looks for Home Advantage

Racing on home waters, Explora Journeys Swiss SailGP Team driver Sébastien Schneiter will be looking to turn his knowledge of Lake Geneva into a first SailGP victory.

The Swiss driver currently faces one of the most technically demanding venues on the calendar, where constantly shifting and unpredictable breeze can quickly reshape the fleet.

“You really need to know Lake Geneva and all the shifts,” Schneiter said. “We’re going to see the wind coming from the shore and we really have to navigate on the specifics of the lake. The start is also super important. We know that in these conditions, one mistake can make you disappear, so as a team we’re going to focus a lot on the start.”

Around 10,000 spectators are expected across the two-day event, with Lake Geneva serving as the Rolex SailGP Championship’s only freshwater venue.

Martine Grael Steps In for U.S. SailGP Team

The U.S. SailGP Team arrives in Geneva sitting third in the championship standings, but with a significant change in the driver position.

Double Olympic champion Martine Grael will take the wheel in place of Taylor Canfield, who is unavailable after suffering a broken collarbone in a bicycle accident.

Grael was brought into the team following Canfield’s injury and faces the challenge of adapting quickly to a new crew with the championship entering its decisive phase.

“I didn’t understand what I was going to do in the future, and then I got a phone call saying that Taylor got injured. It’s a great pity because they’re doing such a good job and they’re really in great chances to go to the final,” Grael said.

The Brazilian sailor last competed in SailGP only around a week and a half ago and believes that recent experience should help her settle quickly into the F50.

“The good thing is that it hasn’t been so long since I’ve seen it last. It’s only been like a week and a half now, so I’m still warmed up from the other events.”

But adapting to a new team will be the immediate priority.

“When you get to a new team, you need to understand how they work. And that’s the most important part, is to try to work with this team because they’ve obviously been doing a very good job. Of course, I want to adapt to how they’re sailing and get the best out of them.”

A Milestone for Women in SailGP

Grael’s arrival also creates a significant moment in SailGP history.

She will race alongside U.S. SailGP Team grinder Anna Weis, marking the first time that two women will compete alongside one another within the same SailGP team.

Grael described the opportunity to sail with Weis as particularly special.

“Anna is one of those great athletes and a great friend as well, and it’s really incredible to work together.”

She added:

“It’s really inspiring to sail beside Anna, and it is going to be fun.”

Changes for Mubadala Brazil

The Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team will also line up in Geneva with a new driver.

Paul Goodison, who previously joined the team as strategist, will take the helm.

Goodison said the team was caught off guard by Grael’s departure.

“We were really unsure about what had happened. We just heard that Martine had left, so it put us all in a little bit of a spin.”

Kahena Kunze has joined the Brazilian team on loan from ROCKWOOL Denmark, with Goodison describing the change as the beginning of a new phase for Mubadala Brazil.

“I think we’re in a new era,” he said. “We need to look forward to how we can start improving.”

The team currently sits at the back of the championship standings and is focused on finding a way to convert improved performances into points.

“How do we start getting the points on the board? What do we need to change? We just keep trusting in our process, keep working forward and hopefully the results will come.”

Slingsby: “I Wouldn’t Have a Clue”

Already guaranteed a place in the Grand Final, championship leader Tom Slingsby, driver of the Bonds Flying Roos, admits that predicting who will join Australia in Abu Dhabi is difficult.

Australia enters the final stretch with a 17-point lead.

Asked who he expects to join his team in the Grand Final, Slingsby said:

“I wouldn’t have a clue.”

The Australian pointed to defending champions Emirates GBR and light-air specialist Nathan Outteridge as potential contenders, while refusing to make a prediction.

“Emirates GBR are the defending champions and people have written them off before and they’ve come back and shocked everyone, so don’t count them out. Nathan Outteridge is a light-air specialist also. I’m not sure. I’m just a fan.”

Slingsby added:

“I’m going to sit back and watch, hopefully stay out of everyone’s way, because I wouldn’t have a clue.”

Lake Geneva Awaits

The fleet is divided into two groups for the weekend.

Group A: Artemis, Los Gallos, ROCKWOOL Racing, Mubadala Brazil, Germany by Deutsche Bank, DS Automobiles France and the U.S. SailGP Team.

Group B: Emirates GBR, Bonds Flying Roos, New Zealand’s Black Foils, NorthStar, Explora Journeys Swiss SailGP Team and Red Bull Italy.

Racing begins on Saturday, September 19 at 15:30 CEST, with the two-day event continuing through Sunday.

For the teams still fighting for Abu Dhabi, every race on Lake Geneva now carries greater significance as the 2026 championship enters its final stages.