Latest news with #GreatBritainSailGrandPrix
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Great Britain Sail Grand Prix: New Zealand victorious, Australia's penalty, and spectators invade
After dominating the first day of the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth, the British team couldn't quite seal victory in front of the home crowds as Pete Burling and the Black Foils from New Zealand stole their thunder in the three-boat final on Sunday. But Dylan Fletcher's boat came a close second across the finish line for a solid British result. Advertisement Sebastian Schneiter might have been disappointed to have lost the early advantage out of the start, but it was the first time the Swiss team had fought their way to a SailGP three-boat final, and Schneiter was upbeat about the team's clear improvements. It was a windier day on the Solent, a narrow strait between the English south coast and the Isle of Wight, and the French were back up and running on day two of the close-to-shore competition after their wing sail snapped on Saturday. There was controversy, too, as the sixth fleet race was suspended because a spectator boat had invaded the course. All 12 teams blasting around an incredibly tight course for the day's three fleet races meant there was hardly time for anyone to catch their breath. The spectator fleet was behaving itself on the western boundary of the course, with close to a hundred cruising yachts and other craft all in a neat, orderly line behind the marshal boats. All except one that, just before the start of Race 6, drifted into the course area just as the F50 catamarans were jostling for position in the final two minutes before the start, and forced a restart. Hannah Mills, Britain's double Olympic Champion and strategist — the sailor who plots a weaving path through the high-speed traffic for the driver steering the F50 — wasn't entirely sure what had happened in all the confusion. 'Something to do with a boat in the start box,' Mills said. 'Which is not a great place for a small yacht to be when there are 12 F50s coming in, all screaming at them. So yeah, it was the right move by the race management to just postpone the start and do it again.' Australian driver Tom Slingsby thought the problem was more the number of course marshals trying to shepherd the stray boat back into the flock. 'I think more of the problem (than the yacht) was five police boats which surrounded him,' Slingsby said. 'Yeah, we had an incident, only just avoided the police boat, so that wasn't really helping out the situation.' There were a lot of breakdowns across the weekend, and a lot of technical problems besetting the fleet — some self-inflicted, some not. So it felt appropriate that DJ Pete Tong was on the decks to play the spectators out of the 10,000-seater temporary stadium at the end of an entertaining but often scrappy and confusing day. The U.S. team struggled to get up and running until the last fleet race of the afternoon, suffering from an up/down cylinder failure in the starboard daggerboard case. Unlike in Formula One, where the teams are responsible for the smooth running and maintenance of their own cars, all the equipment in SailGP is centrally managed, so Taylor Canfield's crew are bound to have questions about the reliability of their boat. Advertisement There was a similar problem for the British, as driver Dylan Fletcher explained to The Athletic: 'We had an issue with our port (left-hand side) board, which wasn't functioning or lifting up in the first race. We fixed it for the second race. 'Then we had the same issue again, but luckily they fixed it and we missed the start of the third race but still managed to get around. And it was working and all good for the final.' Germany took themselves out of the game when Erik Heil's T-foil rudder snagged an anchor line as they were foiling past the windward turning mark off course. Spain suffered a breakdown, too, after riding too high and falling off the foils. After winning back-to-back events in San Francisco and New York, Diego Botin's crew never found their rhythm on the choppy waters of the Solent. Still, it wasn't all bad news. Overnight, the SailGP tech team had managed to get France's broken wingsail fixed after it snapped before Saturday's racing had even begun. On Sunday, Quentin Delapierre's crew got back into their groove in time to win the restarted fleet Race 6 and finish second in the seventh and final fleet race. The usually high-flying and fast-starting Australians just couldn't bring their A-game to Portsmouth. However, after starting last in Sunday's first fleet race, the Aussies turned on the afterburners to scythe their way through the pack to salvage a miraculous fourth place across the finish line. Despite not quite being at their best, it looked like Slingsby might yet be able to elbow his way past the Swiss for that third spot in the final. But in fleet Race 6, he received an expensive penalty in a complicated four-boat situation which involved Canada, Denmark, Britain and Australia. Speaking more than an hour after the incident, Slingsby was perplexed at how the remote umpires — based in London — had penalized his team rather than Britain. 'I'm sort of shocked at how we got the penalty,' Slingsby said. 'The British didn't try to avoid the two starboard tackers and we've got to avoid the British boat, which we did clearly. 'It's not our fault, and we lost probably eight or nine positions because we had to get behind Canada, who were stopped at the bottom of the course. It's frustrating because obviously we would have been in the final.' SailGP moves to Sassnitz on the Baltic coast of Germany for racing on August 16 and 17.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Kiwis sink British dreams as Burling wins SailGP showdown
FILE PHOTO: Sailing - SailGP - Great Britain Sail Grand Prix - Portsmouth, Britain - July 19, 2025 Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Dylan Fletcher leads New Zealand SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling on Race Day 1 Simon Bruty/SailGP/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo PORTSMOUTH, England - Peter Burling's New Zealand team gate-crashed what should have been a triumphant home celebration, pipping Dylan Fletcher's British crew to victory in a nail-biting final at the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix on Sunday. The Kiwis spoiled the party on the Solent, claiming their second event win of the season and third race victory of the weekend in a dramatic winner-takes-all showdown that left the packed Portsmouth shoreline deflated. Perfect sailing conditions greeted the fleet, with a nice steady breeze providing ideal racing weather that allowed the high-speed F50 foiling catamarans to showcase their full potential as they approached speeds of 100 km/h across the water. Fletcher's Emirates GBR team had looked destined for glory after commanding the leaderboard following a dominant opening day, but were edged out at the line when it mattered most. The Olympic gold medallist was left rueing what might have been. Switzerland added their own slice of history by reaching their first-ever SailGP final, though their fairytale run was cruelly cut short by technical gremlins that left them out of contention in the decider. The day's drama wasn't confined to the final, with France bouncing back from their own technical woes to seize victory in Race 6 - but only after a farcical interruption when a rogue spectator boat invaded the course and forced a restart. Twelve national teams had battled across seven fleet races for the coveted spots in the three-boat final, with Emirates GBR, New Zealand and Switzerland emerging from the pack as fans buzzed with anticipation along the shoreline. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore Both Bukit Panjang LRT disruptions in July linked to newly installed power system: SMRT Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Asia Johor Bahru collision claims lives of e-hailing driver and Singapore passenger Sport Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle Business Crypto exchange Tokenize to shut down Singapore operations Singapore More initiatives and support for migrant community announced at Racial Harmony Day event Singapore ComfortDelGro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi The victory propelled New Zealand to the summit of the overall SailGP championship leaderboard with 54 points, nudging ahead of Australia (BONDS Flying Roos) on 52 points and Spain on 51. Britain's wait for a home event victory continues, despite accumulating a long list of SailGP podiums around the world. REUTERS
The Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Sailing-Kiwis sink British dreams as Burling wins SailGP showdown
FILE PHOTO: Sailing - SailGP - Great Britain Sail Grand Prix - Portsmouth, Britain - July 19, 2025 Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Dylan Fletcher leads New Zealand SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling on Race Day 1 Simon Bruty/SailGP/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo PORTSMOUTH, England (Reuters) -Peter Burling's New Zealand team gate-crashed what should have been a triumphant home celebration, pipping Dylan Fletcher's British crew to victory in a nail-biting final at the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix on Sunday. The Kiwis spoiled the party on the Solent, claiming their second event win of the season and third race victory of the weekend in a dramatic winner-takes-all showdown that left the packed Portsmouth shoreline deflated. Perfect sailing conditions greeted the fleet, with a nice steady breeze providing ideal racing weather that allowed the high-speed F50 foiling catamarans to showcase their full potential as they approached speeds of 100 km/h across the water. Fletcher's Emirates GBR team had looked destined for glory after commanding the leaderboard following a dominant opening day, but were edged out at the line when it mattered most. The Olympic gold medallist was left rueing what might have been. Switzerland added their own slice of history by reaching their first-ever SailGP final, though their fairytale run was cruelly cut short by technical gremlins that left them out of contention in the decider. The day's drama wasn't confined to the final, with France bouncing back from their own technical woes to seize victory in Race 6 - but only after a farcical interruption when a rogue spectator boat invaded the course and forced a restart. Twelve national teams had battled across seven fleet races for the coveted spots in the three-boat final, with Emirates GBR, New Zealand and Switzerland emerging from the pack as fans buzzed with anticipation along the shoreline. The victory propelled New Zealand to the summit of the overall SailGP championship leaderboard with 54 points, nudging ahead of Australia (BONDS Flying Roos) on 52 points and Spain on 51. Britain's wait for a home event victory continues, despite accumulating a long list of SailGP podiums around the world. (Editing by Toby Davis)
New York Times
5 days 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
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
SailGP opens cutting-edge facility to drive championship growth
Find out what's new on ST website and app. SOUTHAMPTON, England - SailGP on Thursday unveiled its gleaming new $10 million innovation centre in Southampton, complete with more than 100 boat-building experts and a mission to supercharge the world's fastest sailing championship. The state-of-the-art SailGP Technologies facility on England's south coast opened its doors ahead of this weekend's Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, marking a major investment in the future of racing that sees 50-foot catamarans fly across water at nearly 100 km/h. The Southampton hub houses a small army of designers, engineers, boat builders and specialists in everything from composites to hydraulics, all working to keep SailGP's fleet of high-tech F50 catamarans racing at breakneck speeds around the globe. "The opening of SailGP Technologies represents a major step forward in our continued ability to support a truly global championship," said Joel Marginson, Director SailGP Technologies. "This facility gives us greater control and resilience across the fleet, enabling faster turnaround of repairs, more consistent performance, and a reliable supply of spares while on tour." The facility relocated from New Zealand in late 2023 to be closer to SailGP's London headquarters and optimize proximity to the global racing calendar. The centre will also serve as a training hub complete with racing simulators. SailGP CEO and co-founder Russell Coutts celebrated the milestone, saying: "As we grow, it's incredibly important to have fully integrated capabilities and expertise. This state-of-the-art facility will enable SailGP to remain at the very forefront of industry technology and innovation." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho Asia Air India probe into Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment Singapore Two women jailed for submitting fake university certificates to MOM for employment passes Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail The championship has also launched its first boat-building apprenticeship programme, selecting six emerging professionals to develop the next generation of marine industry talent. The Great Britain Sail Grand Prix takes place in Portsmouth on July 19-20, with national teams competing for personal glory and a slice of $12 million in total prize money. REUTERS
