Everything is bigger and better for the start of the 2025 SailGP Season 5 in Dubai

SailGP F50s are ready, the teams are primed and the wait is almost over. Everything is bigger and better for the start of the 2025 Season 5 in Dubai.

Rolex SailGP CEO Russell Coutts has parlayed his, and Larry Ellison’s (of Oracle), wacky idea of a professional international sailing competition, featuring ex America’s Cup F50 one design, foiling catamarans, into a major world-wide sporting event.

Launched in October 2018 with a six teams on a five-race circuit, Season 1 (2019) finished with a match race between the two highest-scoring crews over the season, the winner taking a US$1 million prize.

For Season 5 (2024-25) 12 national teams will compete over a 14-race circuit, with the top three highest-scoring crews over the season, competing in the Grand Final for a US$2 million prize.

Initially the teams were financially supported. That has turned around to the point where 10 of the 12 teams this season are now privately owned. All future teams joining the league will also be privately owned and financed too.

Russell Coutts has also announced the doubling of the new season event prize money to $12.8 USD.

The 2024-25 season has seen new teams, and an active transfer market as the competition for top crew members intensifies.

As professional sailors, all the athletes are paid to compete, so the event prize money is a bonus for those teams making it onto the podium at any of the events.

Dylan Fletcher is race ready for his return to SailGP, after taking on the Driver role for Ben Ainslie’s Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix Team.

Fletcher comes with past F50 experience. He drove the British team in SailGP’s first ever season before being replaced by Ainslie in Season 2.

Crew List for Dubai
Driver: Dylan Fletcher
Wing Trimmer: Iain Jensen
Flight Controller: Luke Parkinson
Grinder: Nick Hutton
Grinder: Neil Hunter
Reserve: Nick Robinson
Strategist: Hannah Mills
Coach: Rob Wilson