Emirates GBR ready for battle as SailGP's fast and furious racing returns to UK shores this weekend
by Emirates GBR SailGP Team 17 Jul 22:31 BST
19-20 July 2025
The Emirates GBR race squad were invited by the Royal Navy onto warship HMS Dragon ahead of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth this weekend © C.Gregory
The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix takes place in Portsmouth on 19/20 July, with 20,000 fans expected to line the shore at Southsea Common to witness 12 national teams compete in identical foiling 50ft catamarans that travel at speeds of up to 100kmh.
In preparation for this weekend, the Emirates GBR race squad was invited by the Royal Navy on-board warship HMS Dragon in Portsmouth. Driver Dylan Fletcher, Strategist Hannah Mills, Flight Controller Luke Parkinson, Wing Trimmer Iain Jensen and Grinders Nick Hutton and Neil Hunter viewed the racecourse from HMS Dragon and discussed tactics to climb back into the top three on the leaderboard. Emirates GBR currently sits fourth on the 2025 Season leaderboard after suffering a tough stint at the US events and slipping out of the top three after the New York event last month.
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher said: "We started the season really strong with three podium results in three events, then we had a couple of difficult events in San Francisco and New York. We know we are capable of more and we know that if we go and sail in Portsmouth at our normal level then we can easily come away with the win. We're really looking forward to being in front of the home crowd and hope we can put on a great show and get a top result."
As well as racing on the water, all 12 SailGP teams are also competing off the water in the Impact League, which rewards teams for positive social and environmental actions. On Wednesday, SailGP announced Emirates GBR had won the second Impact League Focus Area of the 2025 Season - Accelerating Inclusion. Emirates GBR received huge praise for their commitment to developing the next generation of sailing talent, with the judges praising their work as: "a standout, long-term initiative that sets a benchmark for Accelerating Inclusion in sailing".
Emirates GBR expanded its Young Development Sailor programme for inner-city youth and through their partner, Low Carbon, invested $50k+ into inclusion-based educational resources for sport with the 1851 Trust. They have also provided more than 350 on-water training hours, including on the F50 itself, for London teenager and Greig City Academy student Kai Hockley, who was awarded a professional full-time role with the team in July 2024, and recently had his contract extended for the 2026 Season.
Kai was the first intake on Emirates GBR's internship programme which provides long-term, paid opportunities to young people. Since joining, Kai has travelled the world with Emirates GBR, embarked on a dedicated foiling training programme with Athena Pathway and is competing at the WASZP Games in Weymouth next week.
Kai said: "Being part of the Emirates GBR SailGP Team has really helped my development both on and off the water. Everyone wants the sport of sailing to grow so it needs mass participation - that's why it's so important that people from all backgrounds can get involved."
Emirates GBR is now hoping to back up the Impact League win with a top result on the water, with racing kicking off at 16:00 BST on Saturday 19 July. Tickets are selling fast, with limited daily and weekend passes still available for both the Waterfront Grandstand and the Waterfront Premium Lounge presented by La Folie Douce x Ollie Dabbous, with all tickets including performances from Tom Grennan on Saturday and Pete Tong on Sunday. Find out more at SailGP.com/Portsmouth.