Consistency, preparation, mindset– how Emirates GBR found a winning formula
After a nail-biting three-way final in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, Emirates GBR are 2025 SailGP champions.
Having finished top of the season’s overall standings, the GB team was joined by arch rivals Australia and New Zealand in the winner-takes-all showdown, coming from behind in dramatic fashion to secure the win and a first SailGP title.
“I think the grand final race is an incredible testament to how the team operates,” said driver Dylan Fletcher. “We stayed calm, kept chipping away and then took the opportunity when it got presented to us. What a team, what a year… I’m stoked.”
It represents an unprecedented triple header for Emirates GBR, topping the overall table, coming first in the grand final and winning the Impact League, SailGP’s season-long initiative to make the sport more inclusive and sustainable.
Given the stakes for Sunday’s final couldn't have been higher – or the quality of the line-up – it came down to which team could execute its gameplan as the pressure ramped up.
Something for which this team has plenty of previous.
“When the pressure comes on, me and Hannah do enjoy it,” says Dylan, the 2020 Olympic champion in the men's 49er class. “And a lot of the team are the same.”
“Embrace it!” adds Hannah Mills, a double Olympic gold medallist in the women's 470.
Consistency Gets Results
With three event wins, 12 race wins and 30 podium finishes over the year-long season, consistency has been the team’s calling card. A quality which Hannah attributes to a team-wide approach.
"Every area – whether it’s the commercial team, the ops team, the shore team, the coaching team, the sailing team – everyone is drilled down on the routine, so on race weekend, no matter what, you know what’s going to happen," she explains. "We’ve worked really hard on making it feel as normal as possible.”
Travelling all over the globe as they do, with 13 race weekends across four different continents, recovery has become a big part of the team’s performance strategy, on and off the water.
Often flying long-haul, each race weekend can be a whirlwind – media duties on the Thursday, practice on Friday before racing on Saturday and Sunday.
“I am religious with my NIGHT POWDER,” says Dylan Fletcher. “I had a great night’s sleep (before the race) – much better than for my Olympic medal race.
"It’s so important, getting that routine and consistency. I was actually staggered when I woke up and it said my HRV was very high. It makes you think, 'oh sweet, I’m in good shape, off we go.'”
And off they certainly went. Now for some well-earned R and R before it all starts again in January. Roll on Perth.
ainslie + ainslie is the official supplement supplier for Emirates GBR.
