SailGP prepares for tactical, high-stakes debut on Lake Geneva

Skippers and strategists ahead of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix © Ricardo Pinto for SailGP

The Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix begins tomorrow with a weekend of tactical, light-air racing on the horizon. All twelve national teams hit the water today, getting in essential practice laps in the only freshwater venue of the season.

SailGP's Swiss debut marks a fast reset for teams after a shortened event in Saint-Tropez last weekend. The decision to cancel day two due to thunderstorms proved lucky for some, but left others with mid-fleet results and a shifting season leaderboard.

Heading into the weekend, New Zealand's Black Foils top the overall standings with 70 points, while Emirates GBR sit second with 68. BONDS Flying Roos are in third with 67 points after an event that three-time SailGP champion Tom Slingsby said was now in his rear-view.

Slingsby said, "We've just got to focus on ourselves and not the other teams at the moment. I think it's nice having a quick turnaround after not-such a great event. You have less time to dwell on it all."

As a front pack emerges - including Spain in fourth with 64 points - the hopes for a spot in the Grand Final seem less likely for others. Now 18 points down from the top spot, France SailGP Team driver Quentin Delapierre remained optimistic about what's been a "difficult season" for Les Bleus.

"We just try to bounce back all the time, even if it's not easy to put all your energy into it. We are just focused on our goal to keep trying to win Grand Prix as we did in Sassnitz. If we do well here and in Cadiz we'll have had a good season," Delapierre said.

Lake Geneva is the only freshwater venue of the 2025 Season, creating an extra challenge for crews to navigate with less density to keep the F50 catamaran lifted and stable. With smaller margin for error, all eyes will be on the flight controllers' expert precision to maintain correct ride height.

Teams are equipped for light conditions with the league's new light-air T-Foils and rudders package available for the very first time. Slingsby - who was the "fortunate team" that got to test the new configuration on Thursday said, "Honestly I was so impressed with the new foil package. It's going to bring the windspeed needed to foil down, while the maneuverability of the boat will go up. The boat performed the best it's ever performed in those conditions."

The Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix is a third consecutive sellout for SailGP, with thousands watching from the Race Stadium plus more dotted along the shoreline and in the spectator fleet. In some ways, the event marks a homecoming celebration said SailGP CEO and co-founder Russell Coutts - and "a chance to finally bring the Rolex SailGP Championship" to the home of series' title partner, Rolex.

Racing on home waters for the very first time, Switzerland SailGP Team driver Sebastian Schneiter said he was ready to go "all in."

"We don't have much to lose - we're in a part of the season where it's clear we're not going to make the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi," Schneiter said. "For us it's all about this event. We have the fire after a difficult one in Saint-Tropez but at the same time the results show we can win races, and we can win that final race. So, that's our target this weekend."

And while the race to Abu Dhabi may be coming to a close, Emirates GBR's Hannah Mills said the weekend could still be anyone's game. "Any team can always win," she said. "The Spanish have been notoriously strong in the lighter breezes - very sniggly round the race course. They're definitely the ones to watch, but as we've seen throughout the season, any team has a shot at the podium."

The Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix | Geneva will unfold over two action-packed days of racing, beginning at 3.30pm CEST Saturday September 20 and Sunday September 21. The action will unfold live in Switzerland on Blue Sport. To find out where to watch; visit sailgp.com/general/how-to-watch