Emirates GBR made a spectacular comeback on the opening day of the team’s home event, the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth, by securing a race win after finishing fourth and sixth in the first two races of the day. The Brits delighted the 10,000 fans who packed the grandstand on Southsea Common on Saturday, when they nailed the start of the third race and led the group for all of the seven legs on The Solent.
The 13 SailGP teams were split into two fleets, with Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Italy, Denmark and Brazil on Group A and Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Germany, France and Emirates GBR in Group B. Each group had three races on Sa
turday, with two more scheduled for each fleet on Sunday – before the top four teams progress to the winner-takes-all event final.
The format means Emirates GBR has to deliver two solid results on Sunday to make it to the final race, but Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE said his team are used to performing under pressure.
“We certainly feel extra pressure for our home event, especially after the first couple of races,” Fletcher said.
“We know that performance was not what we are capable of and not what everyone came to see, so it felt good when we managed to execute in that last race when the pressure was as its highest.”
Portsmouth provided glamour conditions on Saturday, that were as spectacular as they were demanding. Winds of around 30 km/h, gusting even higher, combined with a building Solent chop to push crews to their limits as they raced with 18 m wings, high-speed foils and rudders and six sailors onboard. The course as well as the conditions tested the fleets, with numerous obstacles dotted throughout.
“It was quite a difficult course in terms of it being very possessional from the start and not many overtake opportunities – so it was all about nailing the start,” Fletcher said.
Emirates GBR Strategist Hannah Mills OBE echoed Fletcher’s sentiment and said the team was aware there was “still lots to do” to make it in the final, but the crew was ready to give it their all on Sunday in front of the home fans.
“The atmosphere was unreal,” Mills said.
“Looking up at the grandstand, it was jam packed, and to see 10,000 people there cheering us on was just the most amazing feeling.”
Racing resumes on Sunday, with two races scheduled for each group before the top two teams from each progresses to the winner-takes-all four-boat final. Following the final, Craig David will perform live to the 10,000 fans on Southsea Common. Final tickets are available at SailGP.com/Portsmouth, while all the racing action will be available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports 3 from 16:30 BST.
