SailGP: Los Gallos win Geneva to secure shot at second Championship title

Diego Botín’s outfit made amends for the upset of missing the Final on home waters in Valencia two weeks ago to claim their third Grand Prix win in five events.

And although they trail the Aussies in the overall standings by 16 points, the ten points picked up at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix all but guarantee Los Gallos will compete in the season-deciding Grand Final in November.

The 2024 Rolex SailGP Champions will face three-time SailGP winners the Bonds Flying Roos in the Grand Final, with the third and final spot still up for grabs.

“It’s a very rewarding feeling,” wing trimmer Florian Trittel said. “This weekend in particular felt like it could have gone either way. We could have finished eighth or 10th, and we ended up with the win.

“Coming from Valencia after a devastating Sunday for us, which I think was the most difficult moment of the season for our team, to now get the win feels really good. It’s a little bit of what we can give back to our fans and everybody.”

Los Gallos ended the opening session in Geneva in fourth from seven in Group A, but a stellar final day including a nailbiting last group race saw them clinch a spot in the Final alongside the Bonds Flying Roos, ROCKWOOL Racing and Explora Swiss.

The Bonds Flying Roos led off the line and looked to be in control, but a bold call from Los Gallos to split from the fleet temporarily gave them the upper hand when the leading pair came back together.

Botín’s crew then found another gear to move ahead of the Australians and hold their lead to the finish, sparking huge celebrations onboard the Spanish F50 and around a packed Lake Geneva shoreline.

The Bonds Flying Roos, meanwhile, showed for a second Grand Prix on the bounce that despite being the standout team this season they are far from unbeatable.

After losing the Final in Valencia in the race’s dying moments, the Aussie team also gave away a solid lead during the light-wind finale in Geneva and had to settle for the runner-up spot for a second consecutive event.

ROCKWOOL Racing completed the podium to score their first podium of 2026 and in the process deny home team Explora Swiss an historic finish on home waters.

The Swiss team had already made history earlier in the day by reaching the Final for the first time, winning two group races in front of their home crowd to secure their place in the winner-takes-all showdown.

With just two events remaining, the battle for the final spot in the Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix 2026 Season Grand Final presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council remains wide open, with the teams chasing Los Gallos and the Bonds Flying Roos for the one remaining place.

For Los Gallos, however, the route to a second Championship title is now confirmed.

Text and images courtesy of SailGP.com.