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Sailing News for February 12, 2026

Auckland is set for one of the most stacked SailGP weekends yet with all 13 F50s expected on the start line for the first time, France’s rolling starts shaking up strategy, Burling chasing redemption at home, and Slingsby’s crew under pressure in what looks like a punchy Waitematā forecast. Off the water, Germany’s SailGP team adds heavyweight investors to its ownership group as the league’s commercial arms race keeps accelerating, while Emirates Team New Zealand quietly rolls out an upgraded AC75 back into the shed, trimmed for the new crew rules and already eyeing Naples 2027. Cruising perspective comes from a £1 Sea Dog 30 that just completed a 6,000-mile solo Atlantic circuit on stubborn grit and simple systems, and foiling heads get their fix with Gitana 18 pushing 100-foot trimaran design into full sci-fi territory and a Flyte prototype popping cleanly onto the foils in early multicam tests. Fast, ambitious, and slightly unhinged in all the right ways.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

“We could see a new speed record”: SailGP weather expert reveals Auckland forecast (3 min read)
Auckland is about to turn it on. SailGP’s weather guru says gusts could hit 55 km/h on the Waitematā, with flat water inside the harbour setting the stage for seriously quick runs. It won’t be steady breeze though. Expect punchy gusts, big pressure swings, and plenty of teams getting caught on the wrong side of a shift. Denmark’s 103.94 km/h record could be in danger if someone nails the timing. Chaos, speed, and zero room for error.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

Celebrating 100 years of sailing at Bellerive Yacht Club (3 min read)
The River Derwent is packed with sails as Bellerive Yacht Club turns 100 and throws a proper party. What started as a converted shed in 1926 is now a 1,000 member strong club with a fresh marina and a stacked centenary calendar. Think re-enactments, a history book, the massive Banjo’s Shoreline Crown Series, and a women’s keelboat regatta with bands and dockside vibes. Not bad for a century’s work.

Olympic Class/Dinghy Sailing

How would you decide this? (4 min read)
Two boats, a gybe, a crunch on the starboard quarter, and suddenly it’s rules law school on the water. PL hits PW, yells she’s spinning, then changes her mind and doesn’t take a penalty. PW ends up with a hole and asks for redress. Sounds fair, right? Not so fast. Because no protest was filed and no penalty was taken, the protest committee says no redress. Moral of the story: if you want justice, don’t forget to hail “Protest!” and get that flag up fast.

Youth Sailing/Development

Boats, sails and communities to discover at the 2026 RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show (4 min read)
Farnborough is about to turn into dinghy heaven. The RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show packs in everything from shiny new Melges 15s and RS Aeros to half price training boats and 10 percent off North Sails. There’s foiling fun with the BirdyFish, anniversary cake for Merlin Rockets, and even a Cadet simulator to test your hoists and gybes. If you need a new boat, better sails, or just your people, this is the spot.

Foiling

2026 Lanzarote International iQFOiL Games – Overall (3 min read)
Lanzarote served up a proper mixed bag for the season’s first big iQFOiL showdown. Light, patchy breeze killed the Medal Series finals, but the week’s scores crowned Great Britain’s Finn Hawkins and Emma Wilson as overall champs. The men’s knockouts were stacked, with the French duo Pouliquen and Mestre charging through before the wind shut the door. No grand final fireworks, but five days of slalom, upwind sprints, and windy course racing proved who’s already sharp in 2026.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Want to race an F50? Better get your license first. SailGP has rolled out a new system inspired by Formula 1’s super licence, meaning sailors now need the right mix of sim hours, race miles, and sign-offs before they’re cleared to fly at 50 knots. Veterans are “grandfathered” in, rookies grind through provisional status, and even super subs like Glenn Ashby need to tick the boxes. It’s more paperwork, sure, but when boats are this fast, not just anyone gets the keys.