RYA Opens Behind-the-Scenes SailGP Access to Club Sailors

A rare view beyond the racecourse

The Royal Yachting Association arranged a special edition of The Inside Tack Show with the Emirates GBR SailGP Team for its members and affiliated clubs in June 2026. The programme was designed to explore what happens inside a high-performance sailing team, rather than simply replay dramatic footage of fast catamarans. It was promoted ahead of the Portsmouth Sail Grand Prix on 25–26 July.

The RYA described behind-the-scenes material from the team's time at the Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax, with explanations of boat technology, team decisions and the pressures of competition. The broadcast was due to be available on 26 June, exactly one month before the Portsmouth event.

What club sailors can learn from professional teams

SailGP's F50 catamarans are far removed from the dinghies and small keelboats found in most clubs. Yet the underlying lessons about preparing a boat, communicating clearly and responding to changing wind conditions are familiar. Elite technology can attract interest while giving recreational sailors a fresh way to think about their own on-water decisions.

The preview described the physical and mental demands on athletes racing at speeds exceeding sixty miles per hour. Such figures should be considered in the context of professional racing with specialist equipment and safety arrangements. They are not a target for amateur sailors to imitate outside organised training.

Questions for prominent British athletes

RYA members were invited to submit questions in advance for Olympic champions and SailGP competitors Hannah Mills and Dylan Fletcher. That interactive feature could help make the programme more relevant to the audience than a conventional one-way promotional video. A useful question might concern teamwork under pressure, learning from mistakes or the transition from Olympic classes to foiling catamarans.

The arrangement also provided a bridge between the wider sailing community and some of Britain's best-known professional competitors. Hearing directly from athletes can help young sailors recognise that elite performance relies on disciplined repetition, collaboration and resilience, not only spectacular speed.

The potential for local sailing clubs

Clubs were offered an opportunity to win a visit from an Emirates GBR sailor, while eligible members could enter a draw for a family grandstand ticket for the Portsmouth Grand Prix. Those prizes were connected to registration for the June programme and should not be represented as offers that remain open now.

For family and club boating, the notable development is the use of professional sailing access to inspire broader participation. Sharing an expert team's working methods can generate interest without requiring newcomers to own expensive racing equipment. The original RYA account provides the programme details and dates; its longer-term value lies in the conversation it encourages.