Stuart Bithell's reunion with his Tokyo gold medal crew mates gives Emirates GBR one of its most compelling storylines heading into the new SailGP season. The Wing Trimmer slot had opened up following Iain Jensen's amicable departure to represent Australia again, and the team moved quickly to fill it with a familiar face, one who won a gold medal alongside driver Dylan Fletcher five years ago.
That victory, secured at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics against New Zealand's Pete Burling and Blair Tuke, is what makes this pairing so intriguing. Bithell and Fletcher have not raced together since, but both have continued to operate at the highest level. Strategist Hannah Mills completes the reunion, with all three now sharing a cockpit for the first time since that Olympic campaign.
Bithell's most recent chapter was written in the colours of the Germany SailGP Team, a stint that delivered a breakthrough win in Geneva and a podium finish in Cádiz. He arrives at Emirates GBR with his confidence high rather than on the back of a quiet stint elsewhere.
There is an added layer of symmetry to the signing. Bithell was among the original GBR crew in Season One before stepping away to concentrate on his Olympic programme. His return closes a loop that has been open for several years.
Team CEO Sir Ben Ainslie has described the signing as one that reinforces an already strong group preparing for a thirteen-event global calendar. The defending champions are not rebuilding; they are reloading.
Bithell himself has left little doubt about his mindset going in.
"I'm buzzing to be back with Dylan and Hannah. I know the expectation is high, and I can't wait to get stuck in."
Emirates GBR begins its title defence at the Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix in January.
