Three of the twelve teams competing at this weekend's Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix have made roster changes for the fifth event of the 2026 SailGP season — modest in number, but each carrying a story.
Artemis SailGP Team have replaced data analyst Robbie Urwin with Saul Vassalo for Bermuda. Vassalo joins a Swedish-led crew that sits fifth in the championship on 23 points, hunting their first podium of the year after a series of close-but-not-quite finishes through the opening four events. The data analyst role has become increasingly important as F50 sailing pushes deeper into telemetry-driven decisions; Artemis are betting that fresh eyes on the numbers will translate into sharper calls on the water.
DS Automobiles SailGP Team France have brought Erika Reineke into the reserve strategist position, replacing Marie Riou. Reineke's arrival deepens an experienced French team that has been competitive without being able to convert positions late in races. France are hoping the strategic upgrade will help them hold leads they have been losing in the closing minutes.
Red Bull Italy have promoted Maelle Frascari into the reserve athlete slot, with Matteo Celon stepping aside. The Italian outfit is the youngest team in the championship and continues to refine its core lineup as it builds toward longer-term competitiveness. Frascari joins a programme still finding its identity in only its second season.
The rest of the grid heads to Bermuda unchanged. Tom Slingsby's BONDS Flying Roos top the standings on 35 points and remain the team to beat. Dylan Fletcher's Emirates GBR sit second on 28, with Taylor Canfield's United States on 27 and Diego Botin's Los Gallos on 25.
Notable in its absence is the Black Foils. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke's New Zealand crew remain sidelined following the collision damage that ended their Auckland event early — a continuing absence that has shaped the points table and reduced the grid for a third straight regatta.
The twelve crews competing alongside Australia, Britain, USA, Spain and Artemis are DS Automobiles France, Germany by Deutsche Bank, Mubadala Brazil, NorthStar, ROCKWOOL Racing, Switzerland and Red Bull Italy. Racing on the Great Sound is scheduled for 2:00 PM local time on Saturday and Sunday, with the standard SailGP format applied: a series of qualifying fleet races followed by a winner-takes-all final between the top three.
For the teams making changes, the calculus is the same: every event is a referendum on whether the existing structure is working, and every roster shake-up is a small bet that something can be done better. Bermuda's flat-water foiling conditions — stable Saturday, lighter Sunday — give the new arrivals a relatively predictable arena in which to settle in.