Emirates GBR at the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix - Day 1
by Emirates GBR SailGP Team 9 May 22:33 BST
9-10 May 2026
United States SailGP Team with BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team ahead of Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, ROCKWOOL Racing SailGP Team and Los Gallos SailGP Team on Race Day 1 of the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix © Felix Diemer for SailGP
SailGP returned to the beautiful island of Bermuda for the fifth event of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship. With its pink sands, crystal-clear blue waters and consistent breeze, it remains one of the most popular venues on the season schedule.
Emirates GBR were looking to bounce back from their difficult performance last time out in Rio, which saw them lose their lead in the 2026 Championship, dropping behind Tom Slingsby's three-time champions, the Flying Roos, and handing them a healthy seven-point advantage.
The 24m mid-range Wingsails were chosen for the fleet, along with high-speed foils and rudders, as Bermuda delivered spectacular racing conditions, with 13-17 knots of breeze and gusts of up to 20 knots across the beautiful waters of the Bermuda Sound.
Only eleven teams raced, with the long-term absence of New Zealand's Black Foils compounded by Sweden's Artemis Racing being sidelined due to technical issues. Despite the reduced field, the racing remained tight in conditions described as "glamour racing" by SailGP broadcast commentator Stevie Morrison.
Emirates GBR endured a challenging opening day despite deploying an aggressive slingshot start strategy and showing strong pace throughout the four races. However, a series of penalties and costly manoeuvre errors in the fast and demanding conditions saw the British team slip back into mid-fleet finishes.
Across the day, GBR recorded finishes of fifth, seventh, eighth and fifth, with their strongest performance coming in Race 4 after a well-executed start launched them into early contention. Speeds reached up to 90 kph as the fleet battled through increasing breeze and tight racing on the Bermuda Sound.
While penalties proved costly at key moments, Dylan Fletcher's crew showed resilience and ended the day sixth overall, with a top three finish still within reach heading into the final day of racing.
Reflecting on a mixed opening day for Emirates GBR, Dylan Fletcher said:
"It felt like we got bounced around in the pack out there and didn't really get the chance to stretch our legs. At times, we tried to push too hard, which led to some unforced errors. But there are still plenty of positives to take from the day, and we're still in contention tomorrow, we just need to string together some consistent results."
Emirates GBR will look to find more form on day two and push for a place in the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix final. UK viewers can watch the final day's action live on TNT Sports 2 from 18:00 BST on Sunday.