With the first event of Season 5 just a week away in Dubai, SailGP have made a number of announcements, all connected to the British team, Emirates GBR.
Dylan Fletcher
Whilst many SailGP followers were expecting Ben Ainslie to step back on the wheel after Giles Scott’s move to the Canadian team, Olympic champion and former driver of the British SailGP Team Dylan Fletcher is returning to the league as driver of Emirates GBR for the 2025 Season.
Fletcher, who co-drove INEOS Britannia in this summer’s America’s Cup alongside Emirates GBR CEO Ben Ainslie, will take the wheel of the British F50 next week when the 2025 Season opening event gets underway in Dubai.
Fletcher comes with past F50 experience. He drove the British team in SailGP’s first ever season before being replaced by Ainslie in Season 2.
Ainslie said Fletcher has a ‘winning mentality’ and said his ‘growth in the America’s Cup’ combined with his Season 1 experience ‘make him the ideal fit for this role’.
Fletcher and team strategist Hannah Mills were ‘standout contenders’ for the role, Ainslie added, which makes them ‘a powerhouse duo within the team’.
“Hannah is also determined to drive an F50, and we’re fully supporting her ambition with a training programme to get her there. The team is primed for Season 2025, and I can’t wait for the racing to begin.”
Portsmouth to host UK event
SailGP’s long-awaited UK return will be hosted by the brand new location of Portsmouth when the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix gets underway on July 19-20, 2025.
Set to be one of the flagship sport events of the British summer in 2025, Portsmouth will welcome thousands of fans to the city’s historic dockyard and harbour.
SailGP’s close to shore action – which sees its identical fleet of F50 catamarans reach speeds approaching 100 km/h (60 mph) – will take place on The Solent against the backdrop of iconic local attractions such as the Spinnaker Tower and Southsea Castle.
Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Steve Pitt, said: “We are proud of our success in attracting world class sailing events to Portsmouth and are excited to be welcoming the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix to our Great Waterfront City in 2025.”
Emirates expand Sponsorship
The world’s largest international airline, Emirates, is proud to announce a five-season global sponsorship with SailGP which will see it become the exclusive Global Airline Partner of the annual sail racing championship – a first for the league.
Emirates will continue as Title Partner of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, taking place in Mina Rashid on November 23-24, ensuring that the Dubai fixture continues to be an iconic event within the SailGP annual calendar, helping grow attendance and promoting Dubai as an attractive destination for racing fans and enthusiasts. The airline will also become Title Partner of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team’s new home event in Portsmouth.
