Emirates Great Britain / SailGP
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
