Latest news with #SailGP
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Sail GP: Mixed bag of races at Portsmouth for NZ's Black Foils while Emirates GBR shine
The Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Dylan Fletcher sail past the Grandstand on Race Day 1 of the SailGP round in Portsmouth, UK, 19 July 2025. Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP The New Zealand SailGP team has had an up and down opening day at the Portsmouth round of this year's series. After a solid second place in the opening race, the Peter Burling-led team then finished fourth in the second. The highlight of the day was winning the third, but they had a race to forget in the fourth, finishing second-to-last in 11th. The local British team were the stars of the day, with skipper Dylan Fletcher delivering a masterclass in speed and consistency to send his team to the top of the leaderboard after a commanding opening day off England's south coast. Fletcher's crew won the first Portsmouth race and then never let up, collecting second, third and second place in the remaining heats. By the end of the day, they had 36 points, comfortably ahead of Switzerland and Australia. "We've had some tough events, so to be here and have a good Saturday, especially in front of a home crowd, is amazing," Fletcher said. "I'm really happy and proud of the team. But we know there's still a big job to do tomorrow. Despite a long list of podiums around the world, Britain has never won a SailGP event on home waters, a record Fletcher and his crew are desperate to break in Sunday's finale. The Portsmouth grandstand was packed as spectators enjoyed clear skies and unpredictable conditions, with shifting winds and coastal obstacles keeping teams on their toes. France, meanwhile, saw their hopes dashed before racing began, forced to withdraw after a wing incident in training. All athletes were reported safe, but the setback is another blow for Quentin Delapierre's team, who were just starting to find form after missing the early rounds. At the season's halfway mark, Spain lead the overall SailGP standings, followed by Australia and New Zealand. Emirates GBR are fourth overall. - Reuters
New York Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Great Britain dominate SailGP leaderboard after day one of Portsmouth event
It was a nervous performance by the British team in front of a home crowd on day one of the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth. But if nerves are what's required to turn in such a barnstorming, leaderboard-topping performance, Dylan Fletcher will happily embrace the butterflies churning in his stomach. Advertisement The British crew were the only team to get all their scores in the top three of each of today's four short races. For the 10,000 fans in the 16-metre high temporary stadium on Southsea Beach, this was exactly the performance they had paid their tickets for. Fletcher acknowledged the presence of the crowd certainly made its psychological impact on him, strategist Hannah Mills and the rest of the British crew. 'Hannah and I were just discussing on the way in after racing, just how nervous we felt, probably the most we've felt for quite a long time,' Fletcher told The Athletic. 'I was actually really buzzing to feel the nerves, I think maybe they helped. So it's something we need to bring more of to the other events.' The 12 teams had to contend with a very tight race course strewn with a lot of permanent furniture at the busy entrance to Portsmouth Harbour, not least the cylindrical Spitbank Fort, built in 1859 to defend against a perceived naval threat from France. Today, however, there was no threat from the French as Quentin Delapierre's team suffered catastrophic damage to their wing sail. This put them out of action even before racing began. Instead, the closest threat to Britain's dominant day one performance going into Sunday will be Switzerland who sailed out of their skin to hold second overall. Perhaps the lift in the Swiss team was partly down to a recent pep talk that skipper Sebastian Schneiter enjoyed with Roger Federer, when the tennis legend shared his wisdom on embracing pressure on the big stage. Holding third after winning the last race of the afternoon are Tom Slingsby's Australians. The teams from the American continent seem out of sorts in this first of five events in Europe, with the United States, Canada and Brazil all languishing on an equal 10 points at the wrong end of the scoreboard. Stronger winds are forecast for Sunday afternoon, which will make Portsmouth's unfeasibly tight race course even more challenging. Dylan Fletcher should have no problem summoning the nerves that worked so well for him today. (Main image: Felix Diemer for SailGP)
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
British crew blaze ahead as Portsmouth crowd roars in SailGP opener
Find out what's new on ST website and app. PORTSMOUTH, England - Emirates GBR skipper Dylan Fletcher delivered a masterclass in speed and consistency on Saturday to send his team to the top of the SailGP leaderboard after a commanding opening day on England's south coast. Fletcher's crew won the first Portsmouth race and then never let up, collecting second, third and second place in the remaining heats. By the end of the day, they had 36 points, comfortably ahead of Switzerland and Australia. 'We've had some tough events, so to be here and have a good Saturday, especially in front of a home crowd, is amazing,' said Fletcher. 'I'm really happy and proud of the team. But we know there's still a big job to do tomorrow.' Despite a long list of podiums around the world, Britain have never won a SailGP event on home waters, a record Fletcher and his crew are desperate to break in Sunday's finale. Fletcher is no stranger to big moments. Olympic gold in Tokyo, world title in 2017 and a seat at the helm of the INEOS Britannia America's Cup campaign—his sailing CV stands out in any crowd. He's been racing double-handed boats since his teens and has never looked back. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Asia At least 34 killed as tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam's Halong Bay Singapore 1 dead, 1 injured after dispute between neighbours at Yishun HDB block Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Asia SIA, Scoot, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore The Portsmouth grandstand was packed as spectators enjoyed clear skies and unpredictable conditions, with shifting winds and coastal obstacles keeping teams on their toes. France, meanwhile, saw their hopes dashed before racing began, forced to withdraw after a wing incident in training. All athletes were reported safe, but the setback is another blow for Quentin Delapierre's team, who were just starting to find form after missing the early rounds. At the season's halfway mark, Spain lead the overall SailGP standings, followed by Australia and New Zealand. Emirates GBR are fourth overall. The action continues on Sunday, with Fletcher's crew hoping to finally turn home advantage into a long-awaited British SailGP win. SailGP is a high-speed, global sailing league where national teams race identical, cutting-edge F50 foiling catamarans at speeds approaching 100kph. REUTERS
Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Bathers Beach to host launch of sailing championship
A sailing team co-owned by Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds will be among competitors turning the waters off Fremantle into a grand prix for boats next year. More than 15,000 fans are expected at Bathers Beach when it hosts the inaugural Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG, from January 17 to 18. The grand prix will launch the 2026 season of the Rolex SailGP Championship, a global calendar of high-speed, close-to-shore events in which national teams compete on identical cutting-edge foiling catamarans. Competitors will include Australia's Bonds Flying Roos SailGP team, which is co-owned by Jackman and Reynolds. Bonds Flying Roos grinder Kinley Fowler said there was nothing like racing at home. 'Fremantle has some of the best sailing conditions in the world and getting the chance to race in front of family, friends and our local sailing community on Bathers Beach will be unforgettable,' he said. 'The energy here is unreal and fans are going to be blown away by how close the racing gets to the grandstand. 'We've always wanted to bring SailGP to the west coast and now we get to show the world what Perth's coastline is made of.' Coach Ben Durham said Fremantle was an iconic sailing venue and the event would put it and local talent on the map. The event is supported by the State Government through Tourism WA. Acting Tourism Minister Don Punch said the Perth Sail Grand Prix would be a fantastic spectacle. 'Being able to watch 50-foot catamarans sail past at speeds of over 100km/h from a grandstand just metres from the action, a pumping beach club, or from the water itself is certainly not an opportunity to be missed,' he said. '(It) will bring thousands of visitors to our State and generate millions of dollars in visitor spend, boosting our bars and restaurants, hotels and local businesses.' There will be a range of spectator experiences available, including a waterfront grandstand with live commentary, big-screen viewing, family-friendly activities and post-race entertainment on Bathers Beach. A map of the event. Credit: Supplied Spectators can also BYOB — Bring Your Own Boat — with an on-water front-row position to the high-speed action directly from their own boat inside the exclusion zone. SailGP managing director Andrew Thompson said bringing SailGP to Perth was a major milestone and perfect launch for the 2026 season. 'The new purpose-built Waterfront Grandstand, alongside the Beach Club, marks a significant step in elevating the fan experience and expanding our presence in one of our most passionate markets,' he said. For ticket and event details, visit Pre-sale starts on Friday, August 22, and general public tickets will be available from Thursday, August 28.
NZ Herald
17 hours ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
SailGP Great Britain: Black Foils start strong as damage forces France out of action
Great Britain continues to be a happy hunting ground for the Black Foils. In 2022, the New Zealand SailGP team claimed their first-ever regatta win in the global foiling league's stop in England during season three.
