Full throttle...

'Absolutely amazing!'.....'The best conditions!'.......'Phenomenal racing!'

It was clear what the sailors thought as they stepped ashore at the end of the opening event of the 2026 SailGP season.

Expectations leading into the event had been high, thanks largely to the reputation of the notorious local sea breeze, The Freemantle Doctor. And from the moment teams went out to practice in the days before it was obvious that the chatter hadn't been hype.

Injuries, breakages and high speed dramas had been delivered before the racing had event started, and when it did, the competition was explosive.

Fleet racing at speeds of 30 knots upwind and 45 knots downwind made for some hair raising mark roundings and plenty of stress.

Here's the PlanetSail review of what proved to be a spectacular opening weekend.