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| Image: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP |
Emirates GBR narrowly missed out on a win at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix after the closest of battles with Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos in the event final.
The Brits were just three seconds behind the Aussies as they crossed the line on the Hudson River, in what was the most thrilling finishes of the 2026 Season so far. As the two teams rounded the last mark practically neck and neck, both protested that the other team did not leave enough room, but the umpires concluded that no penalties were necessary.
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE said he was “proud” of the team’s performance, but it was “bittersweet” that they didn’t get the win.
“It was a great battle with the Aussies in that final race,” Fletcher said.
“We were surprised they didn’t get a penalty but when you leave it in the hands of the umpires it’s always 50/50.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling to not be standing on top of the podium but we’ve got to be proud of our performance this weekend.
“It was a fantastic day for the team and we felt like we were getting ourselves back on form after a tricky couple of events, especially looking at Rio which was similar conditions and configurations today where we really struggled. I’m really proud of how the team came out firing and there’s certainly more gains to come.”
Emirates GBR launched into action on Sunday after welcoming star (wars) power onto the F50 race boat on Saturday, with Ewan McGregor joining the team for a Sixth Sailor Experience. McGregor and his childhood friend Eric Strickland friends stepped aboard the 50ft foiling catamaran, which reaches speeds of 100km/h, as part of their preparation for an upcoming transatlantic sailing adventure, which will be documented in the series True Wind. The documentary is being directed by David Alexanian and ELIXIR FILMS, the team previously behind the acclaimed Long Way Round, Long Way Down, Long Way Up and Long Way Home series.
Emirates GBR kicked off the day’s action on Sunday with a race win after nailing the start and extending their lead to sail their own race and cross the finish line with a 150m advantage. The second race didn’t go as smoothly for the Brits as they were shut out at the start line which meant they began at the back of the fleet in 11th place. But the team persevered and kept pushing to make their way through the pack and come out with a sixth-place finish.
The third and final fleet race of the day started with a major collision between Red Bull Italy, Mubadala Brazil and the U.S SailGP Team on the start line. The incident occurred as Italy approached the start line early and turned in a bid to not get an early start penalty. The United States were deemed to be the boat required to keep clear and was disqualified by the umpires, the team also received a seven-point penalty, while Italy received a four-point penalty.
Emirates GBR Strategist Hannah Mills OBE described the conditions on the Hudson as “hectic” and “super challenging”.
“We were at the top end of conditions for the 27.5m wing a lot of times today,” Mills said.
“We had the same situation in Rio as well so we took a lot of learnings from then and put them into practice today. We felt like we got our speed back today, so to get in that final and have such a good race with the Aussies was amazing. Our goal for this event was to get that feeling back, and it was just an unbelievably good race – so bring on Canada.”
Emirates GBR will be back in action at the Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 20 – 21 June. The Brits were victorious the last time the championship stopped in Halifax back in 2024, and they will be looking to close the gap between them and the Aussies this time round. The current 2026 Season leaderboard sees Australia first on 55 points, Emirates GBR second on 44 points and United States third on 36 points.
- All At Sea
