Up to 20,000 spectators are set to descend on Portsmouth this weekend for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, marking the first time SailGP has raced at the venue. For the Black Foils, the return to English waters carries particular significance. It was at Plymouth in 2022 that the team claimed their maiden SailGP victory, and they arrive on the South Coast hoping to rekindle that winning feeling.
Heading into the weekend, the Black Foils sit third on the Rolex SailGP Championship ladder, separated from the top by just two points. Spain lead the standings on 46 points following their victory at the previous event, with Australia's Bonds Flying Roos one point behind them in second. That New York win last month made Spain the first team to claim two Grand Prix victories this season.
Portsmouth kicks off the second half of the season, the first of five consecutive European events before the championship concludes at the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi in November. Black Foils Co-CEO and Driver Pete Burling said the team were in good spirits after making two out of three finals during the US leg of the tour.
"It was really pleasing to build momentum through the US legs with two finals and going close in San Francisco. We've still got a focus on improving as much as we can between events and really using that time to get better as individuals and as a team. As a new group this season we know we always have more to work on and that's really motivating."
Burling also spoke about what it will take to stay in contention for the title as the season heads into its second half.
"One thing the SailGP format has told you is that if you don't keep improving and getting better you're going to get left behind. To win it you've got to make the top three and make the final so it's all about making sure you do that and I'm sure it's going to be super tight right up to Abu Dhabi."
Friday's light winds disrupted preparations, leaving the team with little opportunity for training runs or practice racing. With conditions forecast to improve, Burling said the ability to switch quickly into race mode would be vital on Saturday.
"As a team we pride ourselves on adapting quickly and that will be essential tomorrow after some disruptions today. There's more wind in the forecast tomorrow and hopefully the issues with our wing screen can be resolved overnight so that our sole focus can be on racing."
The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix gets under way on Saturday 19 July 2025, with racing scheduled to start at 4:00pm local time, or 3:00am Sunday morning in New Zealand.
