SailGP Portsmouth: Less than one month until Grand Prix returns to Southsea - can you still get tickets?
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Last year’s Grand Prix saw more than 20,000 spectators flock to Southsea seafront.
The countdown is on to one of Portsmouth's biggest sporting events of the summer, with thousands expected to descend to the waterfront.
Thursday, June 25 marked exactly one month until the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix (SailGP) returns to Southsea. To mark the occasion, members of the Emirates GBR team gathered in central London this week to look ahead to the event, which takes place on July 25-26.
Driver Dylan Fletcher, strategist Hannah Mills and team principal Sir Ben Ainslie were joined by SailGP officials as preparations continue for the championship's return to Portsmouth following last year's sold-out debut.
More than 20,000 people attended the inaugural Portsmouth event in 2025, watching the high-speed F50 catamarans race just metres from the shoreline at speeds exceeding 100km/h. This year's event will once again transform Southsea Common into a race village and marks the start of SailGP's European leg before the championship heads to Germany, Spain and Switzerland.
Fletcher said: “I am absolutely buzzing to come back to Portsmouth. It was an incredible event last year, and this year we want to show our best for all our home fans and bounce off the energy from them.
“As a team we do feel the extra pressure in a home event that we need to deliver a bit more than normal, but I think the whole team really thrives off that pressure and energy, and it really helps fuel us on that start line and around the race course.”
Olympic gold medallist Hannah Mills added: “I’m so excited to get back to Portsmouth to race. It's such a phenomenal race course, the grandstand is right there on the sea front. Last year we were going round the bottom marks, meters away from the grandstand. You can hear the crowd, you can sense them, it’s very special.
“We want to show our sport in the greatest light and for anyone coming down and watching it will be an incredible day out. Hopefully we put on a good show and give you lots to cheer about, there's nothing like seeing the F50s racing in real life.”
According to SailGP managing director Andrew Thompson, Portsmouth has quickly established itself as one of the highlights of the championship calendar.
"Last year the city really embraced SailGP and we're looking forward to returning in a few weeks' time with even more opportunities to get involved," he said. "Pack the waterfront, fill the restaurants, jump on the train and make a day of it. SailGP is at its best when the whole community shows up."
Away from the racing, this year's entertainment programme includes pop star Jess Glynne performing after racing on Saturday, while Craig David will close the weekend with his TS5 show on Sunday.
Goslings, one of the event's partners, will also return to Portsmouth, with president Malcolm L. Gosling Jr. saying the company looked forward to bringing "a taste of Bermuda" to the waterfront as fans gather for the weekend.
He said: “SailGP is about more than world-class racing; it is about the energy and camaraderie that comes from bringing people together by the water. That sense of shared enjoyment has always been at the heart of the Goslings brand, and we are delighted to bring a taste of Bermuda to Portsmouth as fans gather to celebrate a great weekend of sailing.”