{"id":5278,"date":"2025-10-07T16:25:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T16:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/?p=5278"},"modified":"2026-03-18T00:48:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T00:48:03","slug":"emirates-gbr-sit-first-on-the-sailgp-leaderboard-after-dominant-weekend-in-cadiz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sailsporttalk.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/07\/emirates-gbr-sit-first-on-the-sailgp-leaderboard-after-dominant-weekend-in-cadiz\/","title":{"rendered":"Emirates GBR sit first on the SailGP leaderboard after dominant weekend in C\u00e1diz\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

OCTOBER 5, 2025, C\u00c1DIZ, SPAIN |<\/strong>\u00a0Emirates GBR<\/strong>\u00a0lead the overall Rolex SailGP standings after a compelling victory on C\u00e1diz Bay. In an action-packed final, a slingshot move from the Brits forced New Zealand off the foils around the final mark. The Black Foils lost their lead \u2013 but managed to narrowly hold onto second place ahead of the\u00a0Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0who finished third.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driver Dylan Fletcher<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 who has now all-but solidified his team\u2019s spot in next month\u2019s winner-takes-all Grand Final race \u2013 said, \u201cIt was an unbelievable weekend for the team. We had to fight hard for it. We\u2019d been fighting through the fleet all day, so we just kept pushing. It was a great battle with the Black Foils \u2013 they were sailing brilliantly too \u2013 but we managed to come out on top.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Foils driver Peter Burling<\/strong>\u00a0said, \u201cOn that final turn towards the finish, we thought we\u2019d be able to get to the zone off the left boundary, but we ended up on a much worse angle than expected going into the last mark. We were trying to get into the zone on the inside, but the Brits managed to just get an overlap on the outside. At that point we were just trying to make something happen. Still, we were happy to secure second and extend our gap over Spain and Australia in the overall standings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emirates GBR were the in-form team of the weekend, picking up a string of solid results across two days of fleet racing. The Brits now lead the overall season standings with 85 points \u2013 9 points ahead of Spain in fourth \u2013 and are the only team to win three events this season. The\u00a0BONDS Flying Roos<\/strong>\u00a0move from first to third on the season leaderboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategist Hannah Mills<\/strong>\u00a0said, \u201cIt definitely feels like a really good time to get the win before Abu Dhabi. The leaderboard looks a bit different now to how it did coming into the weekend, which is great for us heading into the Grand Final. We\u2019re super happy \u2013 it\u2019s been a really tough couple of days, very physical racing, and tricky conditions to keep the boat flying cleanly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All 12 international teams hit the startline in C\u00e1diz \u2013 fitted for 11-20km\/h of breeze, with the 24-meter all-purpose wingsail, light-air T-Foils and rudders. The\u00a0Spain SailGP Team<\/strong>\u00a0dazzled the sold-out crowds with an opening win in fleet race five \u2013 a highlight for the defending SailGP champions, who finished fifth for the weekend overall.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driver Diego Bot\u00edn<\/strong>\u00a0said, \u201cSailing here in front of this crowd is just incredible. Seeing that sea of red and hearing the fans cheering us on all day \u2013 it\u2019s a unique feeling. We\u2019re so grateful for the support, and we really want to do well for them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow we\u2019re looking ahead to Abu Dhabi,\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Bot\u00edn<\/strong>\u00a0continued. \u201cAnd we know what we have to do \u2013 we probably need to win the fleet racing to have a shot at the Grand Final, and we\u2019re ready to give it everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fleet race six went the way of the\u00a0France SailGP Team<\/strong>, while\u00a0Mubadala Brazil\u00a0<\/strong>celebrated their second-ever race win in race seven. Championship Sunday was \u201csuper disappointing\u201d for\u00a0ROCKWOOL Racing<\/strong>, said driver\u00a0Nicolai Sehested<\/strong>, who narrowly missed out on the final despite entering the day in pole position with a considerable lead. Sehested said, \u201cThis weekend was the first time in a while that we felt like we were back to where we were last year \u2013 always fighting for that final.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been close a few times now, but today we just got the strategy wrong. We ended up in too many fights, constantly trying to take less risk, and that just meant we were stuck battling in the fleet. Looking back, we probably should have just pushed harder like we did yesterday,\u201d\u00a0Sehested<\/strong>\u00a0said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most exciting racing on water returns next month for the ultimate showdown \u2013\u00a0Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix 2025 Season Grand Final, presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council<\/strong>, unfolding over two days of racing,\u00a0November 29-30, 2025. Find out more at\u00a0SailGP.com\/AbuDhabi<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n