Diego Botin's Los Gallos return to a venue that has treated them well, hoping the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix can finally deliver Spain their first event win of the 2026 SailGP season.
The defending champions of last season's $2 million Grand Final sit fourth on the leaderboard with 25 points, five behind Britain in third and ten behind Australia in first. Bermuda is the fifth of twelve regular-season events; for Los Gallos to defend their crown, the next two months need to look very different to the last two.
Botin's 2026 has been a study in resilience. Spain's preparations for the Perth opener were derailed in January when their F50 was badly damaged in practice. "Unfortunately we had damage around both board cases during a gybe in the second practice race," Botin said at the time. "In the middle of the gybe, during the turn, the board case snapped and we had quite a big crash. The board case was completely separated from the boat."
Los Gallos missed Perth entirely as repairs ran long, then climbed back into contention with steady mid-table finishes through Sydney and Auckland before second in Rio behind the rampaging Australians. They have been the most consistent non-podium-leading crew of the season — but consistency does not win championships.
Bermuda matters not just because Spain need points but because it is a venue Botin understands. The Spanish have podiumed multiple times on the Great Sound and won the inaugural 2021 Bermuda event. The Great Sound's flat water and steady thermals reward the kind of clinical foiling Los Gallos have been building toward all season.
"It's obviously extremely stressful," Botin said earlier this season of the title-defence pressure. "We are in a bit of a different race than normal, trying to win the event, so we are trying to keep our heads on."
After Rio, Botin's Spanish were the only crew to finish second in both fleet races on the final day, the foundation of a runners-up event finish. The challenge now is converting podiums into wins.
The team's roster heads into Bermuda unchanged, a small advantage at a moment when several rivals have shuffled crews. Artemis have brought in Saul Vassalo as data analyst, France have promoted Erika Reineke to reserve strategist, and Red Bull Italy welcomed Maelle Frascari. For Los Gallos, the message is continuity, repetition and execution.
Sailing on the Great Sound starts at 2:00 PM local time both Saturday and Sunday. The forecast points to consistent foiling breeze on Day One and lighter, patchier wind on Day Two. The conditions favour technical precision — exactly the kind of racing that historically suits Botin's crew.
If 2026 has so far been a season Spain have endured, Bermuda is where they need it to start.