KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Spain’s Los Gallos secured victory on Lake Geneva and booked their place in the 2026 SailGP Grand Final in Abu Dhabi alongside Australia’s Bonds Flying Roos, setting up a high-stakes finish to the season in the UAE.
Spain’s crew, driven by Diego Botín, recovered from a turbulent qualifying day to defeat the Australians in the winner-takes-all final, with Rockwool Racing (Denmark) finishing third.
Los Gallos had entered the final after appearing to be out of contention earlier in the day, before two additional qualifying races reopened the race for the final places.
Botín and the Spanish crew eventually prevailed despite a strong start by the Australians. Los Gallos secured their first victory in Geneva, the result coming two weeks after Spain missed the final at their home event in Valencia.
“It was a rollercoaster day with more races than we expected. We were in the final, then we weren’t, and then we were again,” Botín said. “We’re super happy with the win. I think we’ve been working really well in these light conditions.”
Australia finished runner-up for the second consecutive event, while Rockwool Racing enjoyed an impressive weekend with three wins from five fleet races.
The Geneva result also sharpened the battle for the championship standings ahead of the final two events of the season in the UAE.
Sweden’s Artemis, despite finishing seventh in Geneva, moved into third place overall, pushing the United States out of the podium positions.
The SailGP fleet now heads to Dubai for the penultimate round of the 2026 season on November 21-22, before the championship concludes with the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE double-header will bring the season to a conclusion with both the Dubai event and Abu Dhabi finale carrying major significance for the championship, while Los Gallos and Bonds Flying Roos have already secured their places in the Grand Final.