Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments BFD 2024 Leaderboard

Emirates GBR end day one in Saint-Tropez with a race win and top spot on the leaderboard

by Emirates GBR SailGP Team 12 Sep 17:44 BST 12-13 September 2025
Emirates GBR delivered a consistent performance in challenging conditions on Race Day 1 of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez © Felix Diemer for SailGP

The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team has ended day one of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez with a race win and the top spot on the event leaderboard. The British team came away with a scorecard of 2-4-6-1 from the four fleet races.

The crew's consistent results in ever-changing conditions means Emirates GBR is currently first overall, with three more fleet races taking place on Saturday before the top three teams take part in the winner-takes-all event final.

Emirates GBR Strategist Hannah Mills said: "It's always good to end the day with a race win and it's amazing to be top of the table. It was epic conditions out there, the breeze was super up and down so it was a full on day of racing with lots of place changes, boats coming off the foils, high speeds - it had it all. We did an awesome job today of hanging in there when we had to and not having any clangers, as that would have been super easy to do because it was such tricky conditions."

With gusts of up to 45km/h, all 12 SailGP teams were on the smallest 18m wing and clocking speeds in excess of 90km/h. The high-speed action started before racing had even begun, with Formula 1 star Valtteri Bottas joining Denmark's ROCKWOOL Racing on-board their F50 and promptly becoming the fastest Sixth Sailor in SailGP history. The Finnish driver holds the record for the fastest speed set in an F1 race of 372.5 km/h - and clocked more than 93 km/h during his Sixth Sailor experience on the water.

The first race of the day got under way with a solid start for Emirates GBR, as they crossed the line in second behind Mubadala Brazil. The Brits managed to chase down Martine Grael's team, but as Australia's BONDS Flying Roos opted for the other side of the course, they managed to secure the lead. At gate three, the Aussies forced the British to do another maneuver and split the course to avoid their dirty air slowing them down. On leg four, Emirates GBR Coach Rob Wilson told the crew via a live link from the coaches booth that the crew should take a right turn, which they took note of and actioned. Tom Slingsby and his Australian crew also opted for the same gate, and although Emirates GBR were able to close the gap they weren't able to overtake, crossing the finish line in second.

The start of race two was delayed as the USA SailGP Team faced a technical issue, which they were unable to resolve in time - rendering them out of action. Emirates GBR got across the line well but the NorthStar Canada SailGP Team flew across the line and steamed ahead of the fleet. The Brits managed to navigate the shifty breeze well to stay at the top of the fleet, but a boundary penalty in leg four cost them and they ended up finishing in fourth.

Emirates GBR managed to recover well from a difficult start in the third race of the day, climbing from 8th to 3rd. It was a race full of changes and in the penultimate leg, Emirates GBR fell of their foils and dropped back to 9th. The Brits powered through and managed to make gains on the course to end the race with a 6th place finish, while the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team secured its first ever race win.

In the fourth and final race, Australia suffered an early start penalty by the closest of margins and had to get behind the entire fleet. Germany was leading the way round the course, while Emirates GBR managed to climb from fourth to second in leg three. Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher then decided to roll the dice at the third gate and take the opposite side of the course to the Germans, this paid off and meant the Brits later secured the lead, which they managed to maintain for the three remaining legs and seal the deal on the race win.

Fletcher said: "It was an absolutely incredible day here in Saint-Tropez and we managed to deliver some consistent results which paid off to put us top overall on points. There were some difficult shifts out there so I'm really happy we got through the day unscathed and heading into Saturday in a strong position. It looks like there's going to be a little less wind for Race Day 2, so we'll be zoning in on that tonight and hoping to continue this performance tomorrow."

The ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix resumes tomorrow from 11:30 BST, with all the action live on TNT Sports.

Related Articles

Race to the Grand Final is on
As Emirates GBR arrives in Cadiz for penultimate event of SailGP's 2025 Season The race to the $2m Grand Final in Abu Dhabi is well and truly on, as SailGP arrives in Cadiz for the penultimate event of the 2025 Season, the DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix. Posted on 3 Oct
Emirates GBR Fourth in Geneva at Rolex SailGP
An on-water rudder swap was a first in the series' history The second day of racing at the inaugural Rolex Sail Grand Prix in Geneva proved a frustrating one for Emirates GBR. The team finished tenth and seventh in the day's two races. Posted on 21 Sep
Emirates GBR street fighting and scrapping
Race Day 1 of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher said it felt as though the team was "street fighting" and "scrapping for every metre" on Race Day 1 of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix on Saturday. Posted on 20 Sep
Emirates GBR ready for jeopardy on Lake Geneva
Strategist Hannah Mills looking to pick the right shifts Fresh from a win in Saint-Tropez last weekend, Emirates GBR is ready for jeopardy on Lake Geneva as SailGP prepares for the second event of the back-to-back European double-header, the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix. Posted on 19 Sep
Emirates GBR wins ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix
After race day two cancelled due to thunderstorm The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team has won the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez, after Race Day Two was cancelled due to an incoming thunderstorm and lightning risk. Posted on 13 Sep
Emirates GBR hoping to repeat Saint-Tropez success
In 'wild' conditions ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team is hoping to repeat last season's success in Saint-Tropez at the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix this Friday and Saturday. Posted on 11 Sep
Jon Holt's surprise F50 ride
Emirates GBR SailGP Team take London schoolteacher out for a spin Sir Ben Ainslie's Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix Team and BBC's The One Show teamed up to surprise a London schoolteacher with a once-in-a-lifetime experience on-board their F50 race boat. Posted on 5 Sep
Like a Phoenix from the Ashes, Emirates GBR Rise
Securing a podium spot in Sassnitz The final day of the Germany Sail Grand Prix came after a long night of repairs, as the SailGP Tech Team and the Emirates GBR shore crew worked against the clock to fix the British F50. The boat had suffered a large hole in the port hull. Posted on 17 Aug
Race Against Time After USA Collide With GBR
Tech Team working overnight on repairs in a bid to have Emirates GBR ready to race Emirates GBR face a race against time to be ready for the second day of the inaugural Germany Sail Grand Prix, after Taylor Canfield's USA SailGP Team collided with their F50 race boat in a port-starboard, mid-fleet incident. Posted on 16 Aug
Emirates GBR preparing to bring their A-Game
For SailGP's Germany debut this weekend Following a successful home event in Portsmouth last month, Emirates GBR is back in action this weekend at the Germany Sail Grand Prix in Sassnitz. The event marks the Rolex SailGP Championship's debut in Germany. Posted on 15 Aug