Spain Sail Grand Prix | Valencia

Valencia reignites the flame: SailGP lands in the America's Cup arena

Two America's Cups, a harbor transformed into a sailing cathedral, and now F50s carving up the Mediterranean at over 90 km/h. Valencia doesn't do things by halves when it comes to top-tier sailing.

On September 5–6, 2026, the Spanish city hosts the 10th round of the SailGP season—a return to the international spotlight sixteen years after the memorable duels of the 33rd America's Cup in these same waters.

A heavyweight legacy

Valencia's selection is no accident. The 32nd America's Cup in 2007 literally transformed the industrial port into a world-class marina. Over $3.2 billion in investment, nearly 6 million cumulative visitors over several years, a dedicated entrance channel, permanent team bases—the infrastructure remained.

For SailGP, it's a "plug-and-play" arena. No need to reinvent everything: the racecourse, port facilities, and event logistics already exist. Just drop in the F50s.

Until now, Cádiz had hosted the Spanish rounds of the circuit. The move to Valencia marks a step up in scale, capitalizing on the city's capacity to manage major events and its solidly established reputation with international sailing authorities.

The racecourse: Mediterranean thermals and tricky chop

What Valencia has in store for the crews

Racing will take place near Malvarrosa Beach and the harbor entrance—an ideal configuration for onshore spectators, who'll see the foilers pass just a few hundred meters away.

Weather-wise, early September in Valencia means the "Garbi", that thermal breeze that builds in the afternoon and generally delivers workable conditions. But the Mediterranean remains fickle. The 2010 America's Cup editions proved it: wind can go AWOL or shift without warning.

SailGP's "stadium" format amplifies the difficulty. Short legs, rapid-fire tacks and gybes, tight course boundaries—everything hinges on maneuver precision. The late-summer chop characteristic of this stretch of coast will disrupt the F50s' flight stability. Foil settings will be a decisive parameter.

A format that shows no mercy

Two days, six races, one winner

The Spain Sail Grand Prix follows the championship's unforgiving protocol:

• Five fleet races spread across the weekend (typically three on Saturday, two Sunday morning)
• One "winner-takes-all" final reserved for the weekend's top three teams

The slate is wiped clean for this last race. Domination in the fleet races means nothing: only the final's result determines the event winner.

The points system that shapes the standings

Points per fleet race:

Championship points (final event standings): the final winner pockets 10 points in the overall season standings, second place gets 9, third gets 8. Teams eliminated before the final receive declining points starting from 7.

Consistency is king. One bad weekend, and the gap in the overall standings becomes a chasm.

Event 10 of 13: when everything crystallizes

The race to the Grand Final

At this stage of the season, the calculations are ruthless. Only the top three teams in the overall standings after the 13th event will secure their ticket to the $2 million Grand Final.

With just three events remaining after Valencia—Geneva, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi—mid-table teams won't have the luxury of caution. This is where aggressive strategies emerge, where start-line risks escalate, where penalties become more frequent.

Data makes the difference

The F50s are strict one-designs. No technological arms race on hull or sailplan. The difference is built in the cockpit: helming, crew coordination, and above all real-time data analysis. Teams that best master adapting their flight parameters to the Mediterranean's changing conditions will gain a decisive advantage.

Valencia, showcase of Spanish sailing

The stakes go beyond sport. By bringing a major sailing event back to its waters, Valencia aims to reactivate the economic and tourism momentum created by the America's Cup. The model is different—SailGP is shorter, more condensed, calibrated for television broadcast and social media—but the ambition remains the same: establish the city as an essential sailing destination.

The compressed two-day format targets a new generation of spectators while satisfying enthusiasts who already associate Valencia with the world's greatest regattas. The gamble is to transform the legacy into a permanent engine rather than a memory.

Find the complete 2026 SailGP season calendar on spencer.club, and compare the competing teams' performances event by event.