Latest news with #DylanFletcher
The Star
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Sailing-Spain take lead on day one of SailGP in New York
Sailing - SailGP - Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix - New York, United States - June 6, 2025 Spain SailGP Team helmed by Diego Botin, Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Dylan Fletcher, Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team helmed by Martine Grael, USA SailGP Team helmed by Taylor Canfield and Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank helmed by Erik Heil sail past the One World Trade Centre and New York City skyline during a practice session ahead of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix Ricardo Pinto/SailGP/Handout via REUTERS NEW YORK (Reuters) -Spain took the lead on day one of the sixth round of the SailGP season on Saturday, picking up the win in the opening race in New York as Diego Botin's team are well positioned for consecutive victories. Defending series champions Spain, who won the San Francisco event in March, made it look easy despite light winds and strong tides as they took the first win of the day. Competing against one of the most famous skylines in the world on the iconic Hudson River, they sailed away from the fleet and led at mark one before sealing a 14-second lead over second New Zealand on the finish line. After a brilliant opening performance, Spain were off to a turbulent start in the second race but finished fourth, moving up from their last 12th position at the start line. They started at the back once again in the third and last fleet race of the day but moved themselves up into the third to lead overnight on 25 points before day two of the event on Sunday. Spain, led by Olympic champion driver Botin, are five points ahead of second-placed Denmark and France in third. Australia and Brazil were going head to head in the second race before Tom Slingsby's team, now rebranded as the BONDS Flying Roos after new celebrity co-owners Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were announced on Thursday, took the win. New Zealand, winners in New York last year, won the third race but 11th spot in the second saw them finish fourth for the day. The race was brought forward due to a storm forecast later in the day, and started two and a half hours earlier than originally scheduled. The global racing championship is back into action after a wingsail defect forced a brief hiatus with the cancellation of May's Rio event. (Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk)
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Gold medallist sailor champions Solent oyster restoration
An Olympic gold medallist has joined conservation efforts to restore oyster populations in the Solent, as his team gears up to race on the same waters in this season's Fletcher, who helms Great Britain's team, said it was vital to protect the marine environment sailors share with hundreds of species that live in the strait between the Isle of Wight and global competition returns to English shores in July for the first time in three years, with GB currently second in the standings, just one point behind Australia."We all need to do our little bit to make the world a better place," said Fletcher. The Olympic sailor, who won gold at Tokyo 2020 in the 49ers class, has been joined by teammates, conservationists and children from Emsworth Primary School to learn about the Solent Oyster Restoration said: "It's incredible projects like this that are now rejuvenating the oceans and are bringing the native oysters back here into Emsworth."It's why we're really trying to show what is possible, that we all need to do our little bit to make the world a better place."Fletcher said having a SailGP event in Portsmouth was "massive", adding: "We've got a grandstand that can hold 20,000 people, so I'm hoping we'll have some good conditions, showcase sailing and show how fun it is to watch."We're really happy with where we are at the moment. It's ultimately a long season, but we'd love to take the win in Portsmouth."But while attention builds for the high-speed races, the Solent was once home to a different kind of activity as the site of Europe's largest oyster fishery. Fletcher's teammate Kai Hockley said the restoration project had made a strong impression."I've learnt so much about how oysters help the Solent," he said. "With all the biodiversity it has, we need to make sure to protect it, to keep our Solent as good as it is."The Blue Marine Foundation, which runs the project, said oyster numbers in the Solent have collapsed due to pollution, disease and overfishing. The aim is to boost biodiversity and water quality but it would also help revive the Solent's former ecological and economic role. Dr Luke Helmer, from the project, said: "We used to have Europe's largest fishery back in the 70s and 80s, with around 15 million oysters being taken, which is unfortunately now closed."That was about 840 tonnes a year. It was a huge industry that supported about 700 workers."What we're trying to do now is restore it - not only for that but for the environmental benefits, an adult oyster can filter 100 to 150 litres of water a day."The project team is currently checking out a new four-hectare seabed reef in Chichester, which could home hundreds of thousands of oysters."I think it's really important that all marine users get involved in this, nobody wants to be playing or swimming in muddy waters, and oysters have an important role to play in that," said Dr Helmer. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Britain claim first win of SailGP season in Sydney
Great Britain's SailGP team extended their lead in the overall standings with a thrilling first win of the season in Australia. Driver Dylan Fletcher led the British team to podium finishes in the opening two events, finishing second in November's season-opener in Dubai and third last time out in Auckland, New Zealand in the 14-regatta event. GB claimed four top-three finishes in the seven qualifying races to reach the final in Sydney Harbour, alongside hosts Australia and Canada, led by former British driver Giles Scott. And they found the better breeze in the closing stages to overhaul Canada and win by six seconds, while Tom Slingsby's Australian team had to settle for third after being penalised for encroachment at the start. "We need to keep working hard and delivering, but this is a great result for the team and I'm really proud of how everyone performed," said Fletcher, 36, who won gold in the men's 49er class at the Tokyo Olympics. Ben Ainslie, CEO of the British team, added: "It's only Dylan's third event with the team and he's done brilliantly. He's world-class and that's why we wanted to get him in this game." It was a first victory for the British team since June - when they won in Canada in the 2024 campaign with Scott as driver - and moved them to 27 points overall, three clear of second-placed Australia and seven ahead of reigning champions Spain in third. Racing now moves to the United States for back-to-back legs in Los Angeles (15-16 March) and San Francisco (22-23 March).
BBC News
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Britain claim first win of SailGP season in Sydney
Great Britain's SailGP team extended their lead in the overall standings with a thrilling first win of the season in Australia. Driver Dylan Fletcher led the British team to podium finishes in the opening two events, finishing second in November's season-opener in Dubai and third last time out in Auckland, New Zealand in the 14-regatta claimed four top-three finishes in the seven qualifying races to reach the final in Sydney Harbour, alongside hosts Australia and Canada, led by former British driver Giles Scott. And they found the better breeze in the closing stages to overhaul Canada and win by six seconds, while Tom Slingsby's Australian team had to settle for third after being penalised for encroachment at the start."We need to keep working hard and delivering, but this is a great result for the team and I'm really proud of how everyone performed," said Fletcher, 36, who won gold in the men's 49er class at the Tokyo Ainslie, CEO of the British team, added: "It's only Dylan's third event with the team and he's done brilliantly. He's world-class and that's why we wanted to get him in this game." It was a first victory for the British team since June - when they won in Canada in the 2024 campaign with Scott as driver - and moved them to 27 points overall, three clear of second-placed Australia and seven ahead of reigning champions Spain in third. Racing now moves to the United States for back-to-back legs in Los Angeles (15-16 March) and San Francisco (22-23 March).
Associated Press
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Great Britain comes from behind to beat Canada and Australia in SailGP Sydney
SYDNEY (AP) — Great Britain lost the lead and regained it to beat Canada and Australia in a thrilling three-boat final in the Sydney leg of SailGP, stretching its overall lead after podium finishes in the first three events of the season. Australia came into Sunday's final as favorite after winning the previous event in Auckland and winning three of seven fleet races in Sydney to top the points table with 63 points ahead of Britain with 51 and Canada with 43. Britain had a win and two seventh placings in the three fleet races on the second day of the event Sunday and Canada had a second and two fourth placings to claim an unexpected finals place. Australia had set the pace in its home event with exceptional performances off the start line, winning two of four races on day one. But the Australians incurred a start line penalty in the final, were forced to drop back behind Britain and Canada and were unable to recover. Britain hit the start line at pace and led at the top gate. Canada picked up a shift on leg 2, passing Britain to lead by comfortable margins at the second, third and fourth gates, looking set for a shock victory. But Britain found a shift in the lee of Shark Island, the rocky outcrop in the middle of the racecourse, to pass Canada on the fifth leg and hold on for the win. 'Absolutely buzzing to get the win,' England driver Dylan Fletcher said. 'We won the start and after that we made mistakes but it was a great race.' Canada driver Giles Scott had mixed feelings after the race, happy with his team's performance throughout the Sydney event but disappointed a win in the final had slipped away. 'I think we've had an amazing day today. We have to be super happy with second place,' Scott said. 'I'm certainly sitting here with a few what-ifs. We were obviously in a great spot with an amazingly big lead almost all of that race but that final upwind the Brits did a great job of picking up a big shift on that right-hand side.' Britain now leads the overall series standings with 27 points from Australia with 24 and Spain and New Zealand with 20. New Zealand improved after a disastrous first day in Sydney to post first, second and fifth placings on Sunday. The SailGP series now moves on to events in Los Angeles and San Francisco next month, Brazil in May and New York in June. SailGP teams race identical 50-foot foiling catamarans. The foils allow the boats to 'fly' across the surface of the water at speeds of up to 90 kmh (55 mph). Sydney was expected to see the first-ever race involving 12 boats but only 11 boats were able to race because the United States withdrew after incurring damage in a capsize in practice. ___
