Dylan Fletcher primed for his SailGP return in Dubai
by Emirates GBR SailGP Team 22 Nov 06:57 PST
23-24 November 2024
© Emirates Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix Team for the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas in Dubai, UAE
Dylan Fletcher, Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team driver, addresses the press at a pre-event conference ahead of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas in Dubai, UAE © Jon Buckle for SailGP
Dylan Fletcher is fully prepared for his SailGP comeback, stepping into the Driver position for Ben Ainslie’s Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix Team. Fletcher previously raced for the British team during the inaugural season and will again take control of the F50 at the season’s debut event this weekend, the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas on 23-24 November.
During the press conference before the season opener, Fletcher expressed: “I’m absolutely thrilled to return to SailGP. The performance standards have risen significantly since Season 1, but I have an incredible team supporting me, so I’m eager to start racing. A long season lies ahead, and the ultimate goal is to reach the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi next November. I recognize I have much to learn, but I’m up for the challenge and can’t wait to get started.”
The Olympic gold medallist, Moth World Champion, and America’s Cup Helm is accompanied on the Emirates GBR foiling 50-foot catamaran by top sailors such as Olympic gold medallists Hannah Mills and Iain Jensen, along with three-time America’s Cup competitors Neil Hunter, Nick Hutton, and Luke Parkinson. 19-year-old Kai Hockley from Tottenham, London, completes the team as a development sailor. He joined the F50 training sessions this week in the Grinder position, marking his debut on the race boat after spending the past nine months learning as part of the SailGP and INEOS Britannia shore teams. He will now merge this onshore role with an on-the-water development pathway aimed at racing the F50.
The 2025 Season promises to be the most expansive yet, unveiling new teams, fresh events, new partners, and additional broadcasters. SailGP announced earlier that TNT Sports will be the exclusive broadcaster for the global racing series in the UK and Ireland. Alongside a new broadcaster, SailGP has also welcomed Rolex as its first title partner, leading to the competition being rebranded as the Rolex SailGP Championship.
TNT Sports will deliver live coverage of all events in the 2025 Season through its TV channels and streaming platform, discovery+. This includes the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth on July 19-20, 2025—the first SailGP event in the UK in three years.
Sir Ben Ainslie, CEO of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, stated: “We are thrilled that TNT Sports will be the exclusive home of SailGP in the UK. It’s fantastic to have a broadcasting platform for the 2025 Season, which will feature more teams, events, and action than ever before. We can’t wait to kick off this weekend at our home-from-home event, the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, and look forward to our return to the UK for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth next year.”
UK audiences can catch all the live action from the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas on TNT Sports this Saturday and Sunday starting at 10:00 GMT.
