Emirates GBR in the hunt after day one of the Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix
by Emirates GBR SailGP Team 16 Mar 18:55 NZDT
15-16 March 2025
ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team helmed by Nicolai Sehested alongside Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, USA SailGP Team and France SailGP Team during racing on Race Day 1 of the Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix © Ricardo Pinto for SailGP
The Emirates GBR SailGP Team is in the hunt after the first day of the Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix. The British crew, driven by Olympic gold medallist Dylan Fletcher, sits in sixth place on the leaderboard heading in to race day two on Sunday.
Emirates GBR ended day one with a result of 4-4-8-7 across the four fleet races. The team had difficult starts but managed to make good gains on the course in the first two races, coming from 10th to fourth in the second race of the day.
Fletcher said: "We're obviously disappointed with our current position as it feels like we left a lot of points on the table. We didn't start well enough and we also felt the effects of picking up kelp out there which slowed us down. With the starts it's always a risk assessment as to whether you go aggressive for the lead and we decided to lower the risk which meant we didn't have great starts. But overall, I think it was fairly positive as we managed to come through the fleet quite well, we just need to focus on our starts for tomorrow."
Winds of 25 km/h gusting to 35 km/h struck the course as the 12-strong fleet lined up for the first time. Emirates GBR had a steady start to the first race, crossing the start line in fifth position, following New Zealand, Canada, Spain and Denmark. After deciding to follow Spain and Denmark round the left-hand mark at gate two, Emirates GBR dropped down to seventh place as the teams who opted for the other side of the course found better wind. By the fourth gate, the British crew had managed to make gains and get up to fourth position.
On the next leg there was a tense moment as the USA SailGP Team threaded the needle between Emirates GBR and Switzerland. There was then a disaster on-board Rockwool Denmark as their F50 hit a mark which rendered them out of action for the rest of the day. The incident earned them a 12 event point deduction and an 8-point loss from their overall season score. It is understood the collision broke the tip of one of the foils, and it remains unknown if the team will return to the racetrack tomorrow. The race ended with New Zealand in first, Spain in second, Canada in third and Emirates GBR in fourth.
The second race of the day saw Emirates GBR demonstrate their skill of overtaking by jumping from 10th at the start to fourth by the second gate. At the fifth gate, the Brits and the Aussies were neck and neck round the mark, both vying for third position, but Tom Slingsby's Flying Roos managed to get ahead. Emirates GBR finished the race in fourth, with New Zealand securing a second race win.
The Brits struggled in the third race after picking up kelp on their foils which slowed them down and left them with an eighth place finish. The fourth race began with Emirates GBR crossing the start line in sixth, but after a close call with Spain on the fourth leg, the Brits found themselves parked up in the middle of the pack, dropping down to seventh. The result leaves them in sixth place overall with 21 points, with Spain also on 21 points in fifth, France in fourth on 25, Australia in third with 27, Canada in second with 28 and New Zealand leading on 31 points.
Racing resumes on Sunday, with three full fleet races scheduled before the top three teams compete in the winner-takes-all event final. UK viewers can watch all the action live on TNT Sports for 21:00 GMT.