SailGP, Martine Grael: from Brazil exit to the helm of third-placed USA

Just a few days ago, Martine Grael described herself as “officially unemployed” following the abrupt end of her relationship with the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team. Now the two-time Brazilian Olympic champion is back at the helm of an F50, this time with the United States team, currently third in the Rolex SailGP Championship standings and fresh from victory in Valencia. It is a remarkably swift and unexpected change of circumstances, although for the moment the agreement covers only the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix, scheduled to take place in Geneva on 19 and 20 September.

The opportunity arose after injuries ruled out both drivers available to the American team. Taylor Canfield, who led the USA to victory in Valencia and back into third place in the race for the Abu Dhabi Grand Final, has been sidelined with an upper-body injury. Harry Melges IV, initially expected to replace him, will also be unavailable in Geneva. The team therefore turned to Grael, who is already qualified to drive an F50 and has almost two seasons of experience in the championship.

Her return is particularly significant because it comes only days after her departure from the Brazilian team, with whom she made her SailGP debut in 2025, becoming the first woman to hold a permanent driver role in the championship. The split was accompanied by differing accounts of what had happened: the team described it as part of a planned restructuring and said Grael had decided not to complete the season, while the Brazilian sailor subsequently expressed her disappointment at the way the internal dynamics of the team had developed. Her place at the helm of Brazil has since been taken by Britain’s Paul Goodison.

In Geneva, Grael will therefore move within the space of a few days from the team at the bottom of the standings to one firmly in contention for a place in the Grand Final. The United States sit third on 56 points, a position secured following their victory at the latest event in Valencia, their second win of the season after Sydney. Artemis are just one point behind, making the Swiss event particularly important in the battle for one of the three places available in the Abu Dhabi final.

Martine Grael’s presence will also mark a first in SailGP history. USA grinder Anna Weis will also be racing aboard the American F50, making this the first time two women have competed simultaneously on the same F50. Grael had already become the first female driver in SailGP and, with Brazil, the first woman to win a fleet race, taking victory in New York during the 2025 season.

For the United States, bringing Grael into the team is above all an immediate solution to an emergency situation, putting the boat in the hands of a driver who already knows both the F50 and the demands of the championship. For Martine Grael, Geneva represents an equally immediate and highly unexpected return to racing: from leaving the Brazilian programme to taking the helm of one of the teams fighting for a place in the Grand Final, all within the space of a single week.

Giuliano Luzzatto

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