Emirates GBR has continued its podium streak at the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix, after a second-place finish on Sydney Harbour. Following seven fleet races with 11 SailGP Teams, Emirates GBR secured a place in the top three and battled USA and Spain in the winner-takes-all $400,000 event final. Despite a strong start, Emirates GBR was unable to catch the Americans in conditions which made it almost impossible for the 50ft catamarans to foil and fly above the water at speed.
The result marks Emirates GBR’s fifth consecutive podium, which started with a win in Cadiz, Spain, in October 2025, followed by the 2025 Season Championship win in Abu Dhabi in November, a win at the 2026 Season Opener in Perth in January and a second-place finish in Auckland two weeks ago. Emirates GBR’s performance so far this year means the team sits at the top of the 2026 Season Leaderboard with 28 points, followed by Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos in second with 25 points and USA in third with 20 points.
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher said: “I’m very proud of the team, we fought hard today in very difficult conditions and we had a few things go against us, but hats off to the Americans for the win.”
On Race Day 1 on Saturday, Emirates GBR placed 3rd, 7th, 5th and 6th in the four fleet races after patchy conditions caused havoc on the harbour. The Brits managed to get off the start line well, but found themselves in light air which led to them falling off the foils and struggling to make gains. Emirates GBR entered Race Day Two in fourth place on the leaderboard, with the team prepared to give it their all to make it into the top three final race.
The second day’s racing saw Emirates GBR start off with a win in Race 5, before finishing 7th and 5th in the final two fleet races, just banking enough points to enter the final. The three teams in the final faced light conditions, with each team struggling to foil, but Emirates GBR persevered in the race to fend off Spain, but they were unable to catch the Americans. For Emirates GBR, Sydney was the first time the crew faced light conditions with Wing Trimmer Stuart Bithell MBE, who joined the team from the Germany SailGP Team at the start of the 2026 Season.
Emirates GBR CEO Sir Ben Ainslie said: “It was very, very challenging conditions with unusually light winds on Sydney Harbour. I think the team did a fantastic job, they sailed really well both days and did a great job to get themselves in that final race. They took every chance they got in that race but the Americans just managed to get on the foils a tiny bit earlier, but looking at the whole season and the bigger picture, it’s a fantastic result to come away with second. It’s also the first time Stu Bithell has sailed in those conditions, with less people on-board when the communication really comes to the core. I know the team would have really wanted to win but second is a really strong result and there’s plenty to take forward to the rest of the season.”
After a thrilling three events in Australia and New Zealand to open the season, the next stop on the calendar will be the Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix on 12-13 April. The event will mark SailGP’s debut in South America, but for Emirates GBR’s Dylan Fletcher and Hannah Mills, it will be a return to Rio after they both competed in the 2016 Olympic Games there. Mills won one of her two Olympic gold medal there, and Fletcher said he was hoping Emirates GBR could “lean on Hannah’s gold medal winning performance in Rio”.
