SailGP Portsmouth produced a result that should worry anyone still betting on a single dominant team in this league: ten fleet races across the weekend, ten different winners. That statistic alone tells you how tight the fleet has become, and it’s the starting point for THE FOIL’s Finals Day breakdown from Portsmouth, which digs into the tactical calls that actually decided who made the podium.
Depth of the Fleet at SailGP Portsmouth
Nathan Outteridge’s on-water comments anchor much of the analysis, pushing back on suggestions that one qualifying group was tougher than the other. His point is blunt: the reigning champions failed to score a single point in their group, proof that there’s no easy path through a SailGP Portsmouth weekend anymore. The so-called race of the weekend backs that up — Canada, Spain, Australia and New Zealand went into the final group-stage race separated by a single point, with any of the four capable of advancing. Canada’s leebow tack on the Kiwis at the top mark settled it, sending the Black Foils home and the Canadians through to the final.
Comebacks and Costly Calls
Flight controller Billy Gooderham walks through Canada’s weekend in detail, including a communications breakdown with helmsman Tommy that cost them a lead against Spain, and the high-stakes downwind push that overtook Spain’s boat — widely regarded as the fastest downwind in the fleet — to reach the final. A frozen wing screen at the first bottom mark in the final briefly dropped Canada back before they recovered to finish third. Spain, meanwhile, backed up their previous event win, while Artemis made a decision in the final that proved costly. Switzerland’s pre-start boat handling and second consecutive final appearance suggest their recent form is no accident. With the championship tightening after every stop, this SailGP Portsmouth recap is essential viewing for anyone trying to work out who actually has the winning formula — a question our own Portsmouth preview with Fletcher and Mills was already asking before racing began.
Video courtesy of THE FOIL — watch the full video on YouTube.
