Friday, 17 April 2026

Less than 100 Days to Go – SailGP heads back to Portsmouth!

 

Less than 100 Days to Go – SailGP heads back to Portsmouth!

“100 Days to Go – Will I Be Ready for SailGP in Portsmouth?”

There are moments in sailing when everything feels just a little bit… faster.

This is one of them.

In 100 days, the high-speed, heart-in-mouth spectacle that is SailGP returns to Portsmouth for Season 6 — and if you’ve never seen these boats fly, you’re in for something rather special.


🚀 Not Your Average Sunday Sail

Now, I sail on the Thames.

We worry about:

  • Wind (or lack of it… usually lack of it)
  • Current (always in the wrong direction)
  • And whether we’ll finish before the next race starts

SailGP teams?

They worry about:

  • Hitting 100 km/h
  • Keeping control while flying above the water
  • And not capsizing on live international television

Slight difference.


⛵ The Boats That Fly

These aren’t your typical sailing boats. The F50 catamarans lift clean out of the water on hydrofoils — more aircraft than boat.

Watching them is like seeing:

  • A Formula 1 car
  • On water
  • With no brakes
  • And the occasional splashy reminder that physics is still in charge

 Why Portsmouth Matters

There’s something quite fitting about SailGP returning to Portsmouth:

  • Historic naval city
  • Packed spectator views
  • And (hopefully) just enough wind to keep things interesting

For those of us learning to sail “the traditional way,” it’s a reminder of just how far the sport has evolved.


🤔 Will It Help My Sailing?

That’s the real question.

Will watching the world’s best sailors:

  • Improve my tacking?
  • Stop me from finishing last?
  • Help me understand wind shifts better?

Probably not.

But it will remind me why I started:
👉 The thrill
👉 The challenge
👉 And the occasional moment when everything just works


🎥 The Plan?

Between now and race day:

  • More practice on the Thames
  • More filming for pmrsailing
  • And possibly… slightly fewer last-place finishes

(We can dream.)


⏳ Countdown Begins

So here we are.

100 days to go.

Time to:

  • Check the kit
  • Charge the cameras
  • And maybe… just maybe… learn to sail a bit faster

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Less than 100 Days to Go – SailGP heads back to Portsmouth!

  Less than 100 Days to Go – SailGP heads back to Portsmouth! “100 Days to Go – Will I Be Ready for SailGP in Portsmouth?” There are moments...