Dylan Fletcher – back at the helm in SailGP
The Emirates Great Britain driver’s story isn’t just about getting back in the game. It’s about chewing through setbacks, swallowing pride, and pushing past the quiet fear that maybe the F50 wheel would never be his again.
After losing the driver’s role in Season 1, Fletcher admits the blow was brutal. “It felt like that could be it – I might never drive an F50 again. I’ll never forget walking into the 49er Worlds a few months later… the boat was gone, I was no longer in SailGP, just standing on the sidelines wondering what I could do to get back.”
The road was humbling. In 2022, Fletcher was behind the scenes at SailGP… in hospitality. A sailor’s equivalent of being ashore with no wind. But he kept his hand in, kept his head down, and bided his time.
That time came in 2025, stepping back in as Emirates GBR driver after Giles Scott’s move to Canada in the sport’s first-ever transfer fee deal. The season started hot — three podiums in three events, including a win in Sydney — but reality bit hard in Los Angeles, missing the final by a single point, and in San Francisco where a bold gamble blew up in their faces.
Then came Portsmouth — the first home event in three years, the crowd roaring for a British win. Fletcher’s opening race victory lit the place up and reminded everyone why he belongs at the wheel.
“Dylan has matured hugely in the last couple of years,” said team CEO Sir Ben Ainslie. “He’s a key part of the leadership now, and that’s massively motivating to see.”
The weekend ended with a solid second behind New Zealand — bittersweet, but proof Fletcher’s fightback is real. “It’s been a long road,” he said. “To be back here, driving the British team, feels surreal. I hope I’m here for years, winning championships and chasing dreams with this crew.”
Since 2021, Racing on the Edge has drawn over 10 million viewers across 40+ episodes, offering fans a front-row seat to the fastest, fiercest racing on water. Now the spotlight shifts to the eighth stop of the 2025 Rolex SailGP Championship in Sassnitz, Germany, August 16–17, where 12 national teams will go full throttle for glory.