FILE PHOTO: Britain Sailing - America’s Cup Media Event - House of Garrard, Mayfair, London - 25/1/17 Artemis racing Team manager Iain Percy during a press conference Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Couldridge/File Photo
(Reuters) - Artemis Racing will enter the 2026 season of the SailGP Championship, the Swedish sailing team announced on Friday.
The team will be led by British Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy and compete under the name Artemis SailGP. It becomes the league's 13th international team.
"I'm proud to lead Artemis SailGP as we return to the global stage with a clear focus - leveraging cutting-edge technology, a world-class line up, and the hard-won lessons from America's Cup," Percy said in a statement.
"Bringing Sweden into this elite championship is a milestone we're proud of, and we're determined to compete at the very highest level - pushing boundaries both on and off the water."
Nathan Outteridge, who won Olympic gold for Australia at the 2012 London Games, has been confirmed as the driver for Artemis SailGP, with the rest of the crew set to be announced in the coming weeks.
Artemis Racing was founded by Swedish billionaire and sailor Torbjorn Tornqvist in 2006.
"Bringing a remarkable depth of talent, experience, and professionalism that will undoubtedly elevate the competitiveness of the league, they're expected to be a real contender from the very first race of the 2026 Season," SailGP CEO Russell Coutts said.
SailGP is an international sailing competition featuring high-speed races in identical F50 foiling catamarans, capable of reaching speeds exceeding 100 km/h. The league pits national teams against each other in a series of regattas held across iconic locations worldwide.
The sixth season of SailGP will commence in Perth, Australia in January.
The current season resumes on Saturday with its first event on Lake Geneva. The Switzerland Sail Grand Prix will take place over two days.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
