Dylan Fletcher named Emirates GBR's new Driver
by Emirates GBR SailGP Team 14 Nov 2024 23:33 NZDT
Dylan Fletcher named Emirates GBR's new Driver © Cameron Gregory
The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team has named its new Driver as the Olympic gold medallist, America's Cup Helm and Moth World Champion Dylan Fletcher. The news is revealed alongside SailGP announcing its return to the UK when it heads to the South Coast of England for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth on July 19-20, 2025.
The 36-year-old will take the wheel of the British team's foiling F50 catamaran at the first event of the new season, the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas on 23-24 November.
Fletcher, who was the Driver for the British SailGP Team in the League's first ever season, takes over the role on-board Emirates GBR from double Olympic gold medallist Giles Scott, who has moved to the Canada SailGP Team in sailing's first-ever transfer fee deal.
Set to be one of the flagship sport events of the British summer in 2025, Portsmouth will welcome thousands of fans to the city's historic dockyard and harbor. SailGP's close to shore action - which sees its identical fleet of F50 Catamarans reach speeds approaching 100 km/h (60 mph) - will take place on the Solent against the backdrop of iconic local attractions such as the Spinnaker Tower and Southsea Castle.
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher said: "I'm buzzing to be back sailing the F50 again. Since Season 1 a lot has changed for me with winning Olympic gold in Tokyo, the Moth World Championships and most recently co-helming with Ben Ainslie in the 37th America's Cup. The SailGP format of 12 boats racing around a really short course at incredible speeds in amazing venues is a dream really. We will be taking on some of the best sailors in the world but I'm joining a seriously talented team and looking forward to the challenge ahead."
He joins a sterling line-up on-board the Emirates GBR F50 which features sailing's top talent, including Olympic gold medallists Hannah Mills and Iain Jensen and three-time America's Cup athletes Neil Hunter, Nick Hutton and Luke Parkinson. Kai Hockley completes the squad as a development sailor. The 18-year-old from Tottenham, London, has spent the last nine months learning the ropes as part of the SailGP and INEOS Britannia shore teams and will now combine the on-shore role with an on-the-water development pathway with the aim to race on the F50. The British team, whose CEO is the most successful Olympic sailor of all time Sir Ben Ainslie, aims to build on their success from last season - having won three events and SailGP's Impact League, which tracks teams' positive environmental and social actions across the race calendar.
Emirates GBR CEO Sir Ben Ainslie said: "We are excited to welcome Dylan as our new Driver. He's got that winning mentality, and with SailGP's intense competition, having someone as motivated as Dylan is exactly what we need. His growth in the America's Cup and his full season as a SailGP driver make him the ideal fit for this role. We had two standout contenders with Hannah Mills, whose incredible talent will make them a powerhouse duo within the team. Hannah is also determined to drive an F50, and we're fully supporting her ambition with a training programme to get her there. The team is primed for the 2025 Season, and I can't wait for the racing to begin."
Emirates GBR Strategist Hannah Mills said: "It's great to be back competing for Emirates GBR in SailGP's 2025 Season. Dylan is a fantastic addition, and having competed alongside him at the Olympics, I know firsthand how dedicated he is to winning races. I can't wait to get out on the water and build a high-performing partnership with him. Racing in the inaugural Women's America's Cup this summer has given me invaluable experience as a driver of high-performance foiling boats, and I'm determined to continue building on that with GBR's planned driver training sessions, with the ultimate goal of securing a SailGP driver position."
Emirates has also today been announced as SailGP's official Global Airline and League Partner and named as the official title partner of the Portsmouth event. This continues their proud affiliation with the global racing championship with the airline also the main team sponsor of Emirates GBR.
The Emirates GBR crew will race together at 14 events throughout the 2025 Season, including their first home event in three years, the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth on 19-20 July.
Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Steve Pitt, said: "We are proud of our success in attracting world class sailing events to Portsmouth and are excited to be welcoming the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix to our Great Waterfront City in 2025."
Tickets for the event will be available from Monday 9 December at 10:00 GMT for an exclusive pre-sale, giving fans first access to secure their spot at this unmissable event. General sale will open to the public on Wednesday 11 December at 10:00 GMT. For more information about the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth and to register for tickets, visit SailGP.com/GreatBritain.