The Princess Royal visited SailGP’s technology hub in Southampton on Friday as part of preparations for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, due to take place in Portsmouth this weekend. The trip offered a window into the technical side of one of the world’s fastest-growing sailing series and the local industry that supports it.
Tour of technology and the F50
Hosted by Sir Ben Ainslie, Team Principal and CEO of the Emirates GBR SailGP Team, and RYA Chair Sir Michael Arthur, the Princess Royal met athletes from the British squad and the wider international fleet. During the visit she inspected the team's F50 race boat, sampled the SailGP simulator and was shown the championship’s wing technology and its performance data systems.
“bring the fire”
The visit comes with the Emirates GBR team entering the Portsmouth weekend in third place in the standings, behind Spain’s Los Gallos in second and Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos in first. The team’s strategist, Hannah Mills OBE, said the squad were prepared to step up their challenge on home waters after falling short at last year’s event.
Local industry and innovation on show
Organisers used the visit to underline SailGP’s investment in British engineering and the development of permanent technology facilities in Southampton. The technology hub demonstrates how advances in aerodynamics, materials and data processing are applied not only to racing but to officiating and live broadcast production.
- Event: Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix
- Location: Portsmouth
- Teams: 13 competing teams split into two fleets
- Emirates GBR standing: third place in championship
What to expect on the water
Racing in Portsmouth begins on Saturday, with the fleet split into two groups. The event schedule calls for a series of races across the weekend culminating in a winner-takes-all final on Sunday, when the top four teams will contest the title.
| Day | Scheduled races |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 6 races |
| Sunday | 4 races then the final for the top four |
The presence of royalty and senior figures from the Royal Yachting Association reflects the scale of the event and its economic and reputational value for the Solent region. For Portsmouth, the weekend represents a significant sporting spectacle and an opportunity to showcase local maritime expertise to an international audience.
Coverage of practice sessions and the main races will be of particular interest to fans tracking Emirates GBR’s bid to improve on last year’s result, with organisers and teams emphasising both competition and the engineering achievements that underpin modern foiling racing.
