Emirates Great Britain has won it all on the Arabian Gulf, defeating the BONDS Flying Roos and New Zealand’s Black Foils to become the third-ever winner of the Rolex SailGP Championship.
The victory caps off a remarkable year for Dylan Fletcher and crew, who shaped one of the strongest performance arcs of the season – starting with the double Olympic gold medalist’s return last November in Dubai. Where other teams may have faltered, the Brits’ rose – picking up more event wins (three), fleet race wins (11), and fleet race podiums (24) than any other crew.
Celebrating on shore, Fletcher said, “Everything was incredibly stressful – like we were up against the best sailors in the world. Even though the Grand Final teams hadn’t performed great this weekend, we were all managing our own little battles ourselves. So when it came down to it – I think you saw testament to how close it is at the top. Any one of us could have won that race and I’m very happy it was us.”
In a title fight that stayed alive to the very last breath, the winner-takes-all Grand Final race kept fans on the edge of their seat – with each team taking the lead at least once in the nine-minute showdown. While the BONDS Flying Roos led the sprint to mark one, they were quickly hunted down by New Zealand, who had managed to gain a 100-meter lead at the mid-way point of the final race.
But Fletcher wasn’t done – clawing his way back from third to overhaul the BONDS Flying Roos and Black Foils on the fourth leg of the winner-takes-all shootout. On the final reach to the finish, Slingsby gave the Roo Crew one final push, slingshotting around New Zealand to cross the line in second.
Emirates GBR are the first team to top both the Rolex SailGP Championship and Impact League standings in a single season.
Team principal and CEO Sir Ben Ainslie said, “I’m so proud of the team, both on and off the water. It’s been a long season with plenty of highs and lows, but to finish in such strong fashion — to win the Impact League, win the season outright, and then win the Grand Final — it’s a huge achievement. The team has been brilliant.”
It was another Grand Final heartbreak for trans-Tasmal rivals Australia and New Zealand – the second time Australia has been beaten in the race that decides it all, and the third crushing defeat for New Zealand. After a disappointing series of fleet race results on Saturday and Sunday, Spain were unable to edge Australia for a chance to defend their Season 4 crown.
BONDS Flying Roos Driver Tom Slingsby looked on the bright side, “We have so much to be proud of with our team – the franchise and our team is incredibly strong. We’ve got unbelievable people involved from the shore team to the sailors and everyone behind the scenes – we have an unbelievable squad and I’m thankful that we are part of an incredible team.” Slingsby continued, “It’s a quick turnaround and we are back in Perth and we start all over again and try to get our title back.”
While the Black Foils Peter Burling conceded, “We’re all definitely hurting right now, but that’s what you want in these situations. If the team didn’t care about what we’re doing and the mission we’re on, we wouldn’t feel the hurt we’re feeling now. Super close, but the cards didn’t quite go our way this time.”
Burling continued, “It’s hard for us — this is our third opportunity. We’ve won well over 50% of the finals we’ve been in, but we still haven’t managed to win a Grand Final. It’s incredibly tough when the whole season comes down to one shifty 10-minute race. There’s some frustration on our end, but we’ve got to be proud of the race and the season we put together.”
The day also marked a historic milestone for ROCKWOOL Racing, who claimed their first event win, leading the fleet through the six qualifying fleet races which shaped the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix 2025 Season Grand Final, presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council. The Danes’ become the eighth winner of the 2025 Season – the Rolex SailGP Championship’s most competitive to date.
ROCKWOOL Racing driver Nicolai Sehested said, “We’ve been in a lot of Finals and come so close so many times, so it’s good to get it off our backs – it’s been hanging there for a while. In the team base you could smell it for a long time. Hopefully this is a new beginning for us, where we can clear our minds, reset and just go racing.
With their names now etched in Rolex SailGP history, Emirates GBR pocketed $2.4 million in prize money this weekend alone – claiming $2 million for the Grand Final race and an additional $400K for highest season points. Across the season, Emirates GBR picked up a staggering $4.4 million, while the Black Foils earned $1.76 million and Australia $1.2 million.
Wishing the 2025 Season winners well, SailGP CEO and co-founder Sir Russell Coutts said, “An enormous congratulations to Emirates GBR – our 2025 Season Rolex SailGP Champions.”
Coutts continued, “The 2025 Season has been SailGP’s most competitive to date, with new teams making their mark and established powers pushed like never before. Throughout, Emirates GBR has provided one of the most compelling performances of the season – so it’s only fitting they finish the year on top, beating the world’s best.”
Elsewhere in the fleet, battle lines were drawn – with just under two months until the 2026 Season begins in a brand new venue. The Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG will unfold over two action-packed days of racing (January 17-18, 2026). The largest fleet in history – 13 nations – will hit the water for the very first time.
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