Three reasons even non-sailing fans should tune into SailGP this weekend in Portsmouth, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max

Teams from across the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA, will go head-to-head in Portsmouth this weekend as the SailGP season continues.

Each team competes in identical F50 hydrofoiling catamarans, which lift above the water and reach speeds of more than 100 km/h – creating one of the fastest and most spectacular racing series in sport as they battle it out in high-stakes races for a share of the £9.5 million prize pot.

It's intense, it's unpredictable and there's always plenty of action. Here are three reasons why even non-sailing fans should tune in this weekend, with the SailGP action live on TNT Sports and HBO Max...

If you've never watched SailGP before, Portsmouth is the perfect place to start. Forget everything you think you know about sailing. SailGP, dubbed the fastest race on the water, is expected to bring huge competition, high performance and above all, a major spectacle to the shores of the Solent.

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The sun is beaming down on Portsmouth (headwave incoming) as the team bases and grandstands for fans are being built. On the surface, it looks like the set-up for a festival, but behind the scenes, tensions run high as the competition enters its latter half of the season.

As it stands the Australian team Bonds Flying Roos have dominated the season so far and are ahead with 62 points, followed closely by the Spaniards with Diego Botin at the helm on 44 points, who are level on points with Sir Ben Ainslie’s Emirates Team GBR, led by Olympic gold medallist Dylan Fletcher.

But the competition at the top isn’t the only reason to follow this weekend.

Dylan Fletcher, Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills in London ahead of this weekend's race

Image credit: Other Agency

It's one of the fastest and most spectacular sports

The first thing to note about SailGP is the (perhaps unexpected) speed. While audiences naturally associate sports like motorsport with high speeds, sailing probably isn't the first thing that springs to mind.

However, using unique foiling technology, SailGP is tearing up the rule book of traditional sailing, and these foiling catamarans sail up to three times faster than the wind, reaching speeds of 100km/h.

If you’ve never watched sailing before, this spectacle speaks for itself.

Brits have home advantage... and home pressure

Emirates GBR are easily one of the championship's most successful teams.

Last season, they became the only team in SailGP history to achieve the 'treble' - winning the Season Championship, topping the overall season leaderboard and claiming SailGP's environmental Impact League.

However, this team will be feeling the heat. Over the course of seven race weekends this season, Dylan Fletcher's team have only won once.

To have a shot at retaining their title, the Brits need to finish the season in the top three, securing a place in the Grand Final, where the top three teams go head-to-head in a winner-takes-all shootout for the championship.

Fletcher's team have the advantage of racing on home waters and a home crowd. But will it be enough to give the team the push they need?

Australia’s Bonds Flying Roos look like the team to beat this season but, as the reigning champions have proved before, when it really matters, Emirates GBR know how to deliver.

They'll also be looking to put right what happened the last time SailGP came to Portsmouth, when New Zealand’s Black Foils narrowly edged out the Brits to take victory.

It's such a big occasion for the team that the event itself is called the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix. A self-fulfilling prophecy? We'll soon find out.

You can always expect drama

If there’s one thing SailGP rarely lacks, it’s drama.

The foiling 50ft catamarans are all of identical spec. While they weigh six tons, they can appear fragile, volatile and as light as a feather.

When 13 teams clash on the water, everything comes down to split second decision-making, the skill of the athletes and sheer intuition. Reaction times must be razor sharp, or the consequences can be dramatic.

So far this season, there have been several collisions that have changed the outcome of races and for New Zealand's Black Foils, even affected their chances of the championship.

While the rules are designed for safety, it is not uncommon to see teams use them to their advantage. They might force an opponent into a situation where they foul another team or are forced to avoid a collision at the last moment.

As SailGP will tell you, this is all part of the game.

So whether you’re a seasoned sailing expert, or just looking for something different to watch this weekend, SailGP might just surprise you.

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