Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi will take its place on the big stage of world sailing this weekend as Mina Zayed hosts the Grand Final of SailGP, bringing the high-octane foiling league back to the capital with the title on the line.
The finale arrives after a season of rapid shifts, dramatic collisions, new technology and storylines that have pushed the sport into fresh territory. Among the most compelling is the presence of newcomers Mubadala Brazil, led by the league’s first female driver, Martine Grael, who has steered her young team from a standing start to a genuine threat in the fleet.
Grael, a two-time Olympic champion from Rio de Janeiro and the daughter and granddaughter of sailing royalty, joined SailGP as an outsider in the demanding F50 class. She stepped into the role with a new crew, limited preparation time and the scrutiny that comes with breaking barriers.
SailGP doesn’t allow for year-round training, leaving teams with just one or two days of sailing before each event, and Grael quickly discovered how steep the learning curve was. She spoke exclusively to Aletihad at Surf Abu Dhabi, where the final countdown to the climax was announced.
“It makes it very different from all kinds of sports where your strengths come from training,” she said. “We’re always trying to get the best out of the shared data from the other teams, but when you’re new to the league, it’s really hard.
“We’re elbow to elbow with a lot of teams. We’re just missing the concluding part [final stages of races], putting our bow ahead at times. Those little things are costing us so much right now, but we’re getting there on how it’s done.”
Their season has swung from frustration to flashes of brilliance. A technical setback in their home race in Rio de Janeiro was followed by a near-victory in Los Angeles, where their late-race duel with Australia drew admiration across the league. They then delivered a breakout win in New York, signalling their growing confidence and potential.
Grael, meanwhile, has been embraced as a ground-breaker, though she is quick to play down any gender-related narrative. “I didn’t feel like I got it easier or more difficult because I’m a woman. I’ve been really welcome in SailGP. Honestly, every venue we go to, we feel like we have half the world behind us. It’s extra encouragement to do my best.”
She laughed off questions about rivalry with Tom Slingsby – the serial champion whose Australia team has twice denied Brazil in crucial moments – but acknowledged that all teams study the best performers closely. “In sailing, it’s a sport of comparison. Whenever a team is performing the best, we look at what they’re doing and try to match it.”
Slingsby also shrugged it off. “Back out there, it is no quarter given or taken,” he told Aletihad.
The final in Abu Dhabi presents its own complexities, including the introduction of a new dimension to the sail wing. Grael is unfazed, describing the league’s rapid technological evolution as “quite cool” even if the timing leaves little room for adaptation. “It is the same for everyone, anyways.”
Even so, Grael remains upbeat and grateful for the home-team support from Mubadala and fans across the UAE. “Thank you for all the good messages and energy. I hope we can put on a good show.”
Planning for season ahead
Almost all teams are making adjustments to their crews for the next season, upgrading or shuffling, and Grael confirmed that Brazil will also unveil changes this weekend. “We have some good changes – you’ll hear about them soon this week,” she said.
As SailGP’s championship reaches its climax on the Corniche, Grael and Mubadala Brazil arrive as the upstarts who can steal the spotlight on mettle – battle-tested, buoyed by their global following and ready to measure themselves once more at what is their second home.
Abu Dhabi will be home this weekend for them just as championship leaders Emirates Great Britain in some way.
