There are decisions that we can understand. And there are others which, even if we analyze them a lot, are difficult to digest. SailGP’s departure from Cádiz undoubtedly belongs to this second category. After four impeccable editions – 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025 – the circuit communicated … at the beginning of December officially to the Junta de Andalucía and to the Town Hall, which in 2026 will look for another destination. And honestly, it’s hard to explain.
Because if Cádiz did something, it was to comply with it. And do it well.
Looking ahead to the 2026 edition, the commitment was important, but it is true that SailGP is moving forward in greater numbers. The offer is that the Council contributed 2 million euros, the Town Hall, 1 million and the Provincial Council, 500,000 euros. A “very ambitious” investment, as the institutions themselves recognize, intended for much more than a simple weekend of competition: it aimed to consolidate the Bay as a permanent location for one of the most publicized nautical circuits in the world.
And there was no shortage of reasons. Cádiz offers a spectacular, unpredictable and exciting pure SailGP regatta course. Probably the only place in Spain where you can see the competition so directly. He produced iconic images that went around the world. It filled Paseo Santa Bárbara year after year. And he did it with an enthusiasm that many venues with much larger budgets already wanted.
During this time, the institutional alliance worked in a serious, coordinated and silent manner for the event to take root. The technical, logistical and economic requirements were respected. A favorable environment has been created for the international brand to develop and, incidentally, for Andalusia to consolidate itself as a reference nautical destination.
And yet, that wasn’t enough.
The SailGP organization decided to look for other goals. It is unclear whether this is due to an overarching strategy, new business ambitions, or the simple inertia of rotating headquarters. The truth is that the championship is going away… just after Cádiz showed that it could be – and in fact was – on the level of Sydney, San Francisco or Saint-Tropez.
The good news is that it’s not a goodbye but maybe a “see you later”. And that the door to a future return of SailGP is not closed.
The Régie and the Municipal Council have already made it clear that they will continue to support high-level water sports. May the Foiling Base of Cádiz, an exemplary project of training, innovation and inclusion, continue to grow.
Cadiz does not lose its essence because a circuit changes course. The Bay will remain what it has always been: a unique setting, a magnet for sailing and a place where major events, when they arrive, feel at home.
And maybe, who knows, SailGP will call her back. Because there are loves which, even if they take a break, are never forgotten.
The taste is bittersweet: Cádiz did everything right…and a little more.
The only hope we have left to maintain the SailGP circuit in Spain is that Valencia is chosen. There were negotiations, all that is missing is the money and the signing of the document. I understand that if SailGP jumped into the pool, it’s because it has a plan B.
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