Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Mubadala Brazil SailGP team will compete on home waters for the first time this weekend when the Rolex SailGP Championship makes its debut in Rio de Janeiro.
The Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix will take place on April 11 and 12 in Guanabara Bay, with the famous Sugarloaf Mountain providing a dramatic backdrop.
Organisers expect more than 8,000 spectators to line the shore for the fourth event of the 2026 season. The race marks a significant moment for the Mubadala Brazil team, which is sponsored by the Abu Dhabi-based company and which has strong commercial interests in Brazil. The home event offers a major platform to showcase its involvement in elite international sport.
Leading the team is two-time Olympic champion Martine Grael, who became SailGP's first female driver in 2025. She will be joined by her brother Marco Grael, with both sailors returning to the waters where they honed their skills as children of Brazilian Olympic legend Torben Grael.
"This is a full-circle moment for our family," said Martine Grael. "To race in front of our home crowd, with family and friends watching, means everything. These are the waters where we grew up sailing."
Adding further local interest, Grael will race against her former Olympic teammate Kahena Kunze, who will compete for the ROCKWOOL Racing team. The pair won gold together at the Rio 2016 Olympics, but this weekend they will face each other as rivals on the high-speed F50 catamarans.
The event is expected to bring a festival atmosphere to the city, celebrating Brazil's rich sailing heritage, which includes multiple Olympic successes. The overall 2026 championship remains tightly contested, with a record $12.8 million prize purse on offer for the season.
After three events, three different teams have claimed victories: Emirates Great Britain, Australia's Flying Roos, and the United States.
Emirates Great Britain, who sealed last season's title in Abu Dhabi, lead the standings with 28 points, followed closely by the Flying Roos on 25 points.
