One month to go: Middle East countdown begins with nine teams left in Grand Final contention

The countdown is on - there's just a month to go until the supercharged F50 fleet resumes racing at SailGP's action-packed Middle Eastern double-header!

SailGP will return to Dubai (21-22 November) and Abu Dhabi (28-29 November) across back-to-back racing weekends to decide the winner of the 2027 Season Championship.

In Dubai, the pressure will be all on Grand Final contenders Artemis, the United States and Emirates GBR to secure the last qualification spot in the Championship-deciding shootout.

Nathan Outteridge's Artemis is in pole position with 59 points, but their slim three-point lead over Taylor Canfield's United States means they're far from locked in.

Canfield's injury, which saw former Brazilian driver Martine Grael step in to helm the U.S. F50 in Geneva, means it's unclear who will be driving the American boat in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This uncertainty opens the door to defending champions Emirates GBR, currently fifth, who are gunning to make the final three.

Emirates GBR have an edge - they're the first team to utilize SailGP's brand-new training base in Pensacola and will benefit from a week-long camp ahead of their 11th-hour Championship defense in Dubai.

Artemis, the U.S. and Emirates GBR may be the frontrunners, but only four teams have been mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the Grand Final - Mubadala Brazil, the Black Foils, Red Bull Italy and Germany by Deutsche Bank. Depending on the performance fluctuations of the rest of the fleet, all other teams still have the ability to reach the Grand Final.

Three-time champion Bonds Flying Roos and 2024 victors Los Gallos may have already qualified, but how will they approach Dubai and Abu Dhabi when racing gets underway?

Will their focus be on protecting their F50s to ensure they can compete in the Grand Final, or entering the season showdown on a wave of momentum?

Both will be sizing each other up when racing begins in Dubai - but it's Tom Slingsby's Bonds Flying Roos with the training advantage. The Australians have locked in a training block in Pensacola in the run up to the Middle Eastern double-header and are set to be on top form heading into the last two events of the season.

There's more than national pride on the line too. A hefty USD $4M is still left to be won over the two events; $800K shared between the top three teams of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, $400K to the team with the highest number of points at the end of the season, and the $2M Grand Final prize pot awarded to the 2027 Season Champion.

The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix takes place on 21-22 November; the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix 2026 Season Grand Final takes place on 28-29 November. Get your tickets or find out how to watch from wherever you are in the world.

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