King Charles III has given Emirates GBR the Royal seal of approval ahead of the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix this weekend, after meeting Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE during his state visit to the overseas territory. Fletcher greeted The King at Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard and presented him with a model version of the Emirates GBR F50 race boat, a 50ft foiling catamaran that flies above the water at speeds of over 100 km/h.
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE said: “A real honour to represent Emirates GBR and meet The King in Bermuda. He was visiting the Endeavour Programme, which does amazing work dedicated to making sailing accessible to everyone on the island. We presented The King with a model F50 boat, which will now be on permanent display at Government House in Bermuda. He wished us all the best for this weekend, so we’ve got the royal seal of approval ahead of racing.”
On 9 and 10 May, Fletcher and the Emirates GBR crew will be racing at the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix, bringing adrenaline-fueled action back to the island’s iconic turquoise waters. It will be the fifth event of the Rolex SailGP Championship’s 2026 Season, and Emirates GBR currently sits second on the season leaderboard with 28 points, behind Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos in first on 35 points, while USA is in third with 27 points. As the reigning Champions after winning the 2025 Season Grand Final, Emirates GBR is the team each of the other 12 competing nations is hoping to beat, and the competition will be fierce as ever in Bermuda this weekend.
As well as meeting The King, Fletcher also met with local youth who are part of Endeavour, a Bermuda-based charity dedicated to empowering youth from diverse backgrounds across the island through experiential learning. Using sailing as a dynamic platform, Endeavour supports young people build confidence and essential life skills while learning more about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, environmental conservation, Bermuda’s maritime heritage, and maritime career pathways.
This reflects the work of Emirates GBR’s purpose partner, the STEM and Climate education charity the 1851 Trust, which uses sport to inspire young people to pursue STEM subjects and careers in the marine industry. Earlier this week, the 1851 Trust and its Patron, Sir Ben Ainslie, launched a UK-wide STEM programme for secondary schools at a two-day event in London. The event, STEM Crew Live, welcomed 240 inner-city state school students for engaging, practical activities that bring STEM to life through sport.