From the moment the F50s lined up on the Solent, Day 1 in Portsmouth delivered the kind of drama SailGP has become known for — gear breakages, surprise performances, and a home team on a mission. Emirates GBR emerged as the clear front-runner, riding a wave of local support to secure three top-three finishes and close the day as provisional regatta leaders.
Emirates GBR fly in front of the home crowd
In front of a packed grandstand and under moody skies, the British team came out swinging. Their wire-to-wire victory in Race 1 showcased both smart sailing and an intimate understanding of Portsmouth’s notoriously tricky racecourse. While others faltered in wind shadows and awkward angles around Spitbank Fort, Dylan Fletcher’s crew kept it clean and clinical.
Race 3 saw the Brits caught in traffic early, but a calm and calculated recovery earned them third. In the day’s final race, they battled through congested lanes and wind shifts to take second, just behind Australia. Their 1–3–2 scoreline leaves them atop the overall leaderboard with 36 points — and a genuine shot at regatta victory on home soil.
Kiwi comeback: a tale of two races
It was a mixed day for the Black Foils. After finishing second in Race 1 with a sharp tactical play to the right gate, New Zealand struggled in the middle races. But they bounced back in Race 3, delivering a masterclass in light-air foiling and wire-to-wire dominance. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke made the most of a left-hand bias and led from the front, sailing their own race to a massive 300m win.
However, a fall off the foils at the start of Race 4 left them buried in the fleet. Despite their impressive win earlier, the Kiwis now sit fourth overall — tied with Australia on 26 points — and needing a strong second day to reach the final.
Slingsby strikes back
If Emirates GBR’s consistency was the story of the day, then Australia’s Race 4 win was the exclamation mark. After a middling start to the regatta with seventh and fifth-place finishes, Tom Slingsby needed something special — and delivered it. A perfect launch off the start line gave the BONDS Flying Roos a lead they never relinquished. Smart positioning and classic Slingsby aggression forced rivals into awkward moves while the Aussies simply extended.
Slingsby roars back as Australia wins Race 4 at SailGP Portsmouth
It was enough to lift them into third overall heading into Sunday’s showdown and reignite their push to defend the 2025 Championship lead.
Swiss consistency, Spanish setbacks
Switzerland quietly stitched together one of their best days of the season, following up a win in Race 2 (not officially reported in full) with a second in Race 3 and a fifth in Race 4. Long plagued by inconsistency, Sebastien Schneiter’s team now sit second overall on 30 points — just six behind GBR.
Swiss resurgent in Race 2 as Portsmouth winds test SailGP fleet
Spain, meanwhile, began the day as overall season leaders and looked set to continue that trend after a solid fourth in Race 1. But a combination of rule missteps and bad positioning in Races 3 and 4 dropped them to sixth overall. Diego Botin’s crew showed flashes of brilliance, but a penalty and an unforced error cost them dearly — and may have opened the door for rivals to overtake them in the standings.
France out, mid-fleet shake-ups
France’s absence from Day 1 cast a long shadow. A broken wing before the opening race ruled them out entirely, costing them valuable points in a tight championship race. Their hopes of a late-season surge have taken a massive hit.
Elsewhere, Red Bull Italy, Germany, and Brazil all recorded their best results in Race 4 — third, fifth, and fourth respectively — pushing them closer to the mid-table fight. Canada, the USA, and Brazil are now locked on 10 points apiece, with only marginal differences keeping them apart.
The battle ahead
With just three fleet races remaining on Day 2 before the podium final, it’s Emirates GBR who hold the high ground. But the margins are tight: Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand are all within 10 points of the lead.
Tactical smarts, clean starts, and staying on the foils will decide who makes Sunday’s final — and with no shortage of ambition across the fleet, Portsmouth could see even more shake-ups to come.
Fleet race results
- Emirates GBR with 36 points
- Switzerland with 30 points
- BONDS Flying Roos with 26 points
- New Zealand with 26 points
- Red Bull Italy with 24 points
- Spain with 20 points
- ROCKWOOL DEN with 17 points
- GER Deutsche Bank with 11 points
- Mubadala Brazil with 10 points
- United States with 10 points
- Canada with 10 points
- France with 0 points
Championship results
A reminder of the 2025 Championship results so far; these will change after the SailGP Portsmouth 2025 event.
- BONDS Flying Roos with 45 points
- Spain with 46 points
- New Zealand with 44 points
- Emirates GBR with 41 points
- Canada with 38 points
- France with 36 points
- Switzerland with 20 points
- ROCKWOOL DEN with 14 points
- Red Bull Italy with 13 points
- Mubadala Brazil with 9 points
- GER Deutsche Bank with 0 points
- United States with 0 points
