Dylan Fletcher says a week of off-calendar training in Pensacola has given Emirates GBR the foundation it needs to defend its SailGP title, with the Middle Eastern double-header that will decide the championship just a month away.
The British team were the first in the fleet to use the league's brand-new training centre in Florida, getting out on the water in SailGP's dedicated training F50.
Fletcher's side currently sit fifth in the standings, a tough spot with Grand Final qualification now in sharp focus. But he was adamant the week on the water in Pensacola would pay off, calling it "the springboard to success where we can retain our title".
Light air was the priority, with both Dubai and Abu Dhabi expected to serve up those conditions. The team used the week to sharpen its starting strategy, an area that has cost them dearly at key moments this season.
"Our starting hasn't been good enough, plain and simple," Fletcher said. "It's a big focus this week, trying to get our playbook set for the end of the season."
Starts matter even more now under the group racing format introduced midway through the season. The split-fleet system, Fletcher explained, "doesn't offer very many overtaking opportunities, even though we've been one of the better overtakers."
Crew rotation was another focus in Pensacola. With squad depth becoming a bigger priority across the fleet, Emirates GBR used the week to shift sailors into different positions aboard the boat.
"We're really trying to claw every minute on the water and it gives us an opportunity to up-skill our young athletes, that's going to be a game changer," Fletcher said.
The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix runs 21-22 November, with the championship-deciding Grand Final following in Abu Dhabi on 28-29 November. For Fletcher and his crew, the work done in Pensacola will be put to the test soon enough.
