The recognition of SailGP as a World Sailing Special Event in 2018 placed the league within the official ecosystem of the international federation, which supports its promotion, marketing and regulatory oversight. The victory of Emirates GBR in the 2025 Grand Final in Abu Dhabi provides the framework to analyse the competitive model that World Sailing aims to promote through this format: a season-long circuit structured as a global championship, similar in concept to Formula 1, with substantial prize money and strong television visibility.
SailGP operates as a global competition in which up to twelve national teams race identical F50 catamarans. The system consists of two days of fleet racing followed by a final between the top three teams, with a winner-takes-all prize exceeding two million dollars. The model is designed to generate competitive continuity, national identity and a format that is easily recognisable for global audiences.
A product designed for a global audience
The 2025 season recorded a notable increase in media visibility. The broadcast of “The Race to Abu Dhabi” reached 3.469 million viewers on CBS in the United States, becoming the most-watched sailing race in U.S. television history and surpassing historic records from the America’s Cup. Throughout the season, SailGP accumulated 20.16 million viewers in the United States, an 18% increase compared with the previous year.
At international level, the league reports distribution to more than 200 million televisions across 212 countries and territories. In terms of on-site attendance, the Grand Prix events gathered more than 200,000 spectators in Season 4, with peaks of up to 22,000 attendees in a single weekend. On digital platforms, the league grew from 1.55 million to 3.45 million followers in just one season, reflecting a clear upward trend in attracting younger audiences.
Prize money as a defining element
The financial dimension is one of the factors that sets SailGP apart within the events recognised by World Sailing. In the 2025 Grand Final, Emirates GBR earned two million dollars for the victory, reaching a total of 4.4 million dollars in prize money throughout the season. The Black Foils accumulated 1.76 million, while the BONDS Flying Roos completed the podium with 1.2 million.
This scale contrasts with other competitions linked to the international federation. In traditional Olympic-class events, documentation from World Sailing indicates that prize money rarely exceeds 10,000 euros per boat. Even in other World Sailing Special Events, such as the World Match Racing Tour, the 23 million dollars distributed since the year 2000 reflect a cumulative figure over more than two decades, far below the annual volume awarded in SailGP.
A showcase for the sporting model World Sailing aims to project
World Sailing described SailGP in 2018 as a “fan-centric grand prix racing circuit”, with short-format races in coastal venues and a decisive winner-takes-all system that enhances television consumption. This approach enables the creation of season-long narratives, the reinforcement of national rivalries and a structure closer to that of major global leagues.
The 2026 season already has a confirmed opening event and will begin in Perth, Australia, on 17 and 18 January, maintaining the same competitive format. As a World Sailing Special Event, SailGP shares status with competitions such as the America’s Cup, The Ocean Race and the World Match Racing Tour, which represent the most professionalised and media-driven segment of the sailing ecosystem. While World Championships and recognised classes remain the sporting core of the system, SailGP serves as a showcase to attract new audiences and expand the global reach of competitive sailing.
