Its business as usual for the SailGP League with the third event of the 2025 Season set to get underway this weekend in Sydney.
The SailGP travelling circus is in Sydney for the sixth edition of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix this Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 9 February.
Hotfoot to Sydney after his America’s Cup crisis meeting in London last weekend is Emirates GBR Team owner Ben Ainslie.
Ainslie’s Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team – Emirates GBR – currently sitting top of the 2025 Championship Table, will be trying to ignore the media-storm whirling around team owner Ainslie and his America’s Cup team – Athena Racing – and his acrimonious split with Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS Britannia team.
After two events, Dubai and Auckland, Emirates GBR with Dylan Fletcher on the helm is tied on 17 pts with Peter Burling’s New Zealand.
Tom Slingsby’s Australia is third on 16 pts and favourites to add the 2025 title to their three previous hometown victories.
Sydney will see the full 12 teams racing, with Quentin Delapierre’s France making their first appearance of the season in a new F50. They are previous Sydney winners.
Also back on the circuit is Canada’s former driver Phil Robertson who is joining the coaching staff of Erik Heil’s Germany, standing in for full time coach Jacopo Plazzi.
Despite the full-house the proposed split-fleet format that was recently trialled is not being used for this event.
Emirates GBR Team for Sydney
Driver: Dylan Fletcher
Wing Trimmer: Iain Jensen
Flight Controller: Luke Parkinson
Grinder: Nick Hutton
Grinder: Neil Hunter
Reserve Sailor: Ben Cornish
Strategist: Hannah Mills
Reserve Strategist: Ellie Aldridge
Coach: Robbie Wilson
The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix takes place on 8 and 9 February, with racing from 15:00hrs AEDT (04:00 UK) on Saturday and Sunday.
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