How a race weekend unfolds
The race takes place over a weekend in short 90-minute periods per day that contain all the action.
The six full-time roles on board are strategist, driver, wing trimmer, flight controller and two grinders. Should there be light wind conditions, a race committee might instruct teams to drop to four crew members, with the tactics of that particular decision playing a key role.
On Saturday, day one of the competition, all teams race together in three or four fleet races. In each race, they battle to finish as high up the rankings as possible, constantly overtaking and shifting positions. The winner receives 10 points, with points decreasing by one point for the last place. Eleventh and 12th places receive no points.
Oh, and did we forget to say? Each of these fleet races lasts around just 15 minutes.
The top-three ranked teams progress to Sunday’s final, where three more races decide that event’s winner.
The year’s winner is announced at the series’ end, which in 2025 features stops in Dubai, Auckland, Los Angeles, New York, Portsmouth, Saint-Tropez, and Geneva, culminating with a grand finale in Abu Dhabi.