Emirates GBR looking to defend top spot in Rio
by Emirates GBR SailGP Team 10 Apr 15:56 BST
11-12 April 2026
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE and Strategist Hannah Mills OBE will be racing in Rio for the first time since competing there for the 2016 Olympic Games © Cameron Gregory
The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team is looking to defend its top spot on the 2026 Season leaderboard in Rio this weekend, as the championship makes its debut in South America.
The Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix takes place on Guanabara Bay, where the Olympic medal races were contested back in 2016 - which Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE and Strategist Hannah Mills OBE will remember well, for different reasons. For Mills, it was a "spectacular" time, with her winning her first Olympic gold on the bay, while for Fletcher, there's "unfinished business" as he missed out on a podium at the Games.
"It's incredible to be back in Rio, 10 years after Han and I raced here at the Olympics," Fletcher said.
"It was such an amazing event and it brings back a lot of good memories, but I also feel like there's some unfinished business here after missing out on the podium. We're excited to get back into action and it's great to be top of the leaderboard, but we just take it one event at a time and we're aware there's still a long way to go."
The Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix is the fourth event of the 2026 Season, with Emirates GBR podiuming at the first three events, taking first place in Perth and second in Auckland and Sydney. The APAC leg of the championship saw three different winners, with Australia's BONDS Flying Roos and the U.S SailGP Team joining Emirates GBR in the 2026 winners club. As the fleet enters Rio, Emirates GBR holds the top spot with 28 points, closely followed by the BONDS Flying Roos with 25 points and the United States on 20.
Twelve of the 13 SailGP Teams are set to be on the start line in Rio, with DS Automobiles Team France returning to the fleet following a crash with New Zealand's Black Foils in Auckland, while the Kiwis remain out of action as repairs continue on their F50.
Set against the striking backdrop of Sugarloaf Mountain and with more than 8,000 spectators expected to line the shore, Emirates GBR Strategist Hannah Mills OBE said the weekend was set to be "stunning and dramatic".
"The Olympics here in Rio was amazing, and I'm super excited to be back racing on what was the medal racecourse for the Olympics and where I won my first gold medal. It's the most spectacular sailing venue, there's nowhere as stunning and dramatic as Rio - it's absolutely iconic with the backdrop of Sugar Loaf Mountain and whether you're watching from the grandstand or from home on TV, it will be the most amazing views."
Fourteen SailGP athletes won Olympic medals on Guanabara Bay in 2016, and Emirates GBR will be hoping they can build on Mills' success at the Rio Games this weekend. UK viewers can follow the action live on TNT Sports 2 from 19:00 BST on Saturday and Sunday.