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SailGP Dubai and the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi bring the 2026 season to a close: on 21 and 22 November, 13 teams race off Dubai, and a week later, on 28 and 29 November, the title and 2 million US dollars will be decided off Abu Dhabi. In Dubai, racing starts at 15:00 local time on both days, which is 12:00 German time. In Abu Dhabi, the races begin an hour earlier, at 11:00 German time. ZDF is showing both weekends live in its stream (as of 14.11.2026).
The essentials at a glance
- Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix: Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November 2026, in Mina Rashid harbour, with races from 12:00 to 13:30 CET each day.
- Grand Final Abu Dhabi: 28 and 29 November 2026 off the Emirates Palace, at this venue for the first time, with races expected from 11:00 to 12:30 CET.
- All 13 teams will sail once more in Abu Dhabi. Only the top three will contest the final race for the title. Australia and Spain are certain to be there, while Sweden, the USA and Great Britain are battling it out for third place.
- Live in Germany: ZDF livestream, Dubai from 11:55, Abu Dhabi from 10:55, plus the SailGP stream on YouTube and the SailGP app.
- Team Germany is in 10th place and no longer has any chance of reaching the final race.
When is SailGP Dubai and Abu Dhabi 2026?
Dubai is the penultimate event of the season, Abu Dhabi the last. The UAE is three hours ahead of German winter time.
| Event | Date | Location | Local time | CET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai, race day 1 | Sat, 21.11.2026 | Mina Rashid, Dubai | 15:00–16:30 | 12:00–13:30 |
| Dubai, race day 2 | Sun, 22.11.2026 | Mina Rashid, Dubai | 15:00–16:30 | 12:00–13:30 |
| Grand Final, day 1 | Sat, 28.11.2026 | Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi | 14:00–15:30 | 11:00–12:30 |
| Grand Final, day 2 | Sun, 29.11.2026 | Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi | 14:00–15:30 | 11:00–12:30 |
The times for Abu Dhabi are provisional (as of 14.11.2026).
Watching SailGP live: where can you see Dubai and Abu Dhabi in Germany?
ZDF is broadcasting all four race days live in its streaming service. In Dubai, the stream starts at 11:55 on both days, with commentary by Nils Kaben. ZDF shows both days in Abu Dhabi from 10:55, with commentary by Kristin Recke.
- ZDF livestream: all four race days, then available to watch as video until 30.12.2026.
- YouTube: SailGP shows all race days free of charge on its own channel in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Dubai from 12:00, Abu Dhabi from 11:00.
- SailGP app and SailGP Insights: live picture with boat data, speeds and positions in real time. This lets you follow every boat individually, like with a tracker.
- Wedo Sports: all race days live on wedotv.com, with highlights on Wednesday 25.11. and Tuesday 01.12., each at 20:00.
- Eurosport 1: Highlights from Dubai on 25.11. at 19:00 and on 26.11. at 10:00, and from Abu Dhabi on 02.12. at 19:00 and on 03.12. at 11:00.
All channels and times are listed in the overview How to watch SailGP (As of 14.11.2026).
SailGP standings before Dubai: Who will make the Grand Final?
The Bonds Flying Roos from Australia are clearly leading the season standings. They and Los Gallos from Spain have already qualified for the final race. Three teams, separated by just six points, are fighting for third place.
| Space | Team | Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bonds Flying Roos (Australia) | 94 | qualified |
| 2 | Los Gallos (Spain) | 78 | qualified |
| 3 | Artemis (Sweden) | 59 | still in contention |
| 4 | United States | 56 | still in contention |
| 5 | Emirates GBR (Great Britain) | 53 | still in contention |
| 10 | Germany by Deutsche Bank | – | no chance of reaching the final |
As of the last event in Geneva (20.09.2026); unchanged until the start in Dubai.
For Artemis, the USA and Great Britain, Dubai is one of the last chances to collect points for the Grand Final. Artemis, with helmsman Nathan Outteridge, start from the best position. The USA get their helmsman Taylor Canfield back, who missed Geneva through injury. Defending champions Great Britain won the season opener in Perth, but have not finished outside the top five in any of the last five events.
How the race weekend in Dubai works
The 13 boats race in two groups, which are seeded according to the current standings. The top two in each group go through to the final with four boats, and whoever crosses the line first there wins the event.
- Group A: Los Gallos, USA, Emirates GBR, NorthStar (Canada), Black Foils (New Zealand), Switzerland and Team Germany.
- Group B: Bonds Flying Roos, Artemis, ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark), France, Italy and Brazil.
The two chasing teams, the USA and Great Britain, will therefore meet head-to-head, while Artemis sail in the other group.
How does the SailGP Grand Final 2026 work?
All 13 teams will sail once more in Abu Dhabi. Only the top three in the season standings will race in the final race for the title and US$2 million.
In the final race, the winner takes it all, title and prize money. That means even the third-placed team can still become champion. The prize money for the whole season totals US$12.8 million.
The course in front of the Emirates Palace is new. Whether light winds and flat water will prevail there, as they usually do in Dubai, remains to be seen.
SailGP Team Germany: What are their chances?
The German team is in 10th place and is no longer in contention for the final race. The aim for the last two events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is better individual results, above all better starts.
The plan for 2026 was sixth place. In the fleet races the team has improved by a total of 71 places, and boat handling and speed are considered competitive. The biggest weakness remains the starts. Ahead of the two events in the Gulf, the crew therefore practised starts specifically in Pensacola (Florida) in similar conditions.
Two-time Olympic bronze medallist Erik Kosegarten-Heil stays at the helm, and the wing trimmer, flight controller and grinder also remain. Victoria Schultheis takes over strategy, while Anna Barth supports the team from the outside as she prepares for the 2028 Olympics. The new head coach is Tom Burton. Thomas Riedel and Sebastian Vettel are backing the team. It showed in 2025 that it can compete at the front, with its first event win in Geneva. In Dubai it sails in Group A, up against Los Gallos, the USA and Great Britain, among others.
What is SailGP?
SailGP is a race series for national teams sailing identical F50s: catamarans with a rigid wing sail instead of a fabric sail, flying above the water on foils. The boats reach speeds of over 100 km/h.
The series speed record was set by the French team in August 2026 in Sassnitz: 107.63 km/h, which is around 58 knots. You can read how that compares with cruising yachts in the article How fast is a sailing boat?, and you can find the conversion at Converting knots to km/h.
Current status
14.11.2026: Australia and Spain are in the final race. Artemis, the USA and Great Britain are battling it out for third place. We will add the results from Dubai and Abu Dhabi here.
Frequently asked questions
When does SailGP Dubai 2026 start?
Racing begins on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November 2026, each day at 3 pm local time, which is 12 noon German time.
When is the SailGP Grand Final 2026 in Abu Dhabi?
On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November 2026, in front of the Emirates Palace. Racing is expected to start at 2 pm local time, which is 11 am German time.
Where can you watch SailGP live?
In Germany on the ZDF livestream: Dubai from 11:55, Abu Dhabi from 10:55. There is also SailGP's YouTube channel and the SailGP app with live data. Highlights are shown on Eurosport 1 and Wedo Sports.
Who is in the SailGP Grand Final 2026?
The Bonds Flying Roos from Australia and Los Gallos from Spain are certain to be in the final race. Artemis from Sweden, the USA and Great Britain will fight it out for third place.
How much prize money is there at the SailGP Grand Final?
The winner of the final race in Abu Dhabi receives US$2 million. Over the whole season, the series pays out US$12.8 million.
Sail a Regatta Yourself
If you want to be on the start line yourself rather than just watching: on Törnfinder you will find places as crew on yachts that take part in regattas, under Join a regatta sailing trip. And SailGP is coming back to Germany: the date and advance ticket sales are in the article SailGP Sassnitz 2027.
