NorthStar Wrap up 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship in Abu Dhabi
by NorthStar SailGP Team 30 Nov 08:02 EST
November 29-30, 2025
Aerial view of NORTHSTAR SailGP Team helmed by Giles Scott leading the SailGP F50 catamaran fleet, on Race Day 2 of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix Season Grand Final presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council © Bob Martin for SailGP
The 2025 Rolex SailGP Championship concluded this weekend in the United Arab Emirates with the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix Season Grand Final.
NorthStar delivered a strong performance with two second-place finishes, ending the event just one point shy of the podium in fourth to close out the season sixth overall in the Championship.
Teams raced with the new 27.5-meter wingsail, light-air foils and rudders to maximize performance in the conditions. Crew configurations shifted between "three up" on Saturday and four-person crews on Sunday aboard the F50s.
The team had identified starting as a key development area and saw an immediate improvement following the addition of Ian Williams as starts coach, working alongside lead coach Joe Glanfield. New reserve strategist, Ali ten Hove and Georgia Lewin Lafrance (fleet reserve) were also present in Abu Dhabi bolstering the NorthStar crew.
This weekend, the team also celebrated an impressive third-place finish in the SailGP Impact League, earning valuable prize money for Race For The Future partner, weCANfoil.
"Coming into this event, the season was over for us. It was all about building for the next one, but it was nice to get a better result and move up the leaderboard. It would have been a little bit sweeter to finish on the podium, which we just missed out on," said Driver Giles Scott. "We now have got some nice alignment in the team. We can't wait to get into next season."
NorthStar now looks ahead to the start of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship, kicking off in Perth on 17-18 January.