SailGP Approaching At Speed

Fremantle’s Sail Grand Prix is now just 6 weeks away—January 17 & 18, 2026. Get ready!

Fremantle Shipping News attended this morning’s SailGP media event at Bathers Beach. What a event!

The deck at Kidogo Arthouse, which will soon become a Race Stadium on Bathers Beach, was chocka with cameras.

And there was talent everywhere: Minister Reece Whitby, footy star Nic Natanui and SailGP maestro Tom Slingsby included!

It’s just over a month away. You may have noticed the grandstands that are being erected on South Mole. Expect more at the southern side of Bathers Beach.

The event will attract over 15,000 visitors and is expected to inject millions of dollars into the State’s economy. It’s also going to put Freo and Perth on the map with global media coverage of the event and the eyes of the world upon us, as we have explained in our earlier coverage of the event.

Reece Whitby MLA, WA Minister for Tourism opened today’s formalities.

West Coast Eagles AFL legend and SailGP super fan Nic Naitanui was also there to welcome the BONDS Flying Roos and the Rolex SailGP Championship to Fremantle.

Tom Slingsby, the BONDS Flying Roos Driver and CEO was there to mark the official handover to Fremantle as the host of the opening event of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship.

Slingsby has just completed the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi, where the Australian crew finished second in one of the closest and most hard-fought Grand Finals in SailGP history.

The guys then exchanged tee shirts and posed for photos.

Final tickets for 17-18 January 2026, Sailing GP have just been released – there aren’t many left, so you need to move quickly if you don’t want to miss out.

To get your tickets, go right here.

The remaining Waterfront Grandstand seats will give a close-up on-water experience of the F50s going head-to-head just metres from the shore.

Thirteen national teams will take to the start line, the largest fleet in SailGP history.

Following the racing on both days, Bathers Beach will become a massive Après Sail venue.

It was announced at today’s media event that Sneaky Sound System are the headline musical act for the inaugural Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix, presented by KPMG. They will close out the two-day high-speed racing spectacle on 18 January 2026, and will take centre stage at the SailGP Stadium.

It’s going to be amazing. We can’t wait!

*Story and photographs by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey

Jean Hudson is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer, reviewer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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