A fast and furious opening day of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix concluded with a home victory for Dylan Fletcher’s British crew. New Zealand’s Black Foils and Sweden’s Artemis led their respective groups heading into Day 2.
Six races were held, showcasing thrilling competition, with each race witnessing a different winner. Racing conditions included a 30 km/h breeze on the Solent, with F50s configured with the smallest 18 meter wingsails, high-speed rudders, and boards.
Teams competed in two groups, aligning with the league’s format for the remainder of the 2026 Season. Group A comprised Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Italy, Denmark, and Brazil, while Group B included Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, Germany, France, and Great Britain.
In Group A, NorthStar seized victory in the opening race, leading from the start but faced competition from Los Gallos and Red Bull Italy. The Black Foils led the third race from start to finish, with NorthStar recovering from a penalty to finish second. They lead their group into Day 2 with 11 points on the leaderboard, closely followed by Canada.
Peter Burling, driver for the Black Foils, remarked, “We had awesome conditions out there today in Portsmouth. It felt very similar to the last time around – perfect conditions for our high-speed foils configuration.”
Artemis displayed consistency in Group B, with the United States clinching the opening race. Artemis responded in the second race with a clean start to secure victory, finishing ahead of Explora Swiss and the United States. Emirates Great Britain claimed the last race of the day in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
Driver Nathan Outteridge highlighted the day’s performance, stating, “Good sunshine, good breeze, and we had a really nice warm-up, which gave us some confidence to push the boat hard in the racing.“
The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth returns tomorrow, Sunday 26 July at 4.30 p.m. local time. Limited tickets remain available at SailGP.com/Portsmouth/?utm_source=mysailing&utm_medium=news&utm_campaign=website. British fans can watch live on TNT Sports and across various broadcasts worldwide.
#SailGP #BondsFlyingRoos #BlackFoils #Artemis
Interested in seeing more Racing News? Click here
Follow our coverage of what’s happening in the foiling World Click here
Follow all our SailGP coverage Click here
