The 2025 Rolex SailGP title wasn’t decided by luck or a sudden flash of inspiration. Great Britain controlled the season from the outset and finished the job in Abu Dhabi with the composure of a team that knows exactly what it is. Dylan Fletcher’s crew arrived as the most reliable performers of the year, leaders of the regular season, leaders in the Impact League, and left with every major trophy available.
The final against Australia and New Zealand was built for tension, not comfort. Australia, three-time champions, are still one of the toughest tactical products in foiling. New Zealand, when everything clicks, can suffocate a race in minutes. In this company, a moment’s hesitation is all it takes to lose the title.
Tom Slingsby struck first, pushing his Australians into clear air off the line. But the execution faltered almost immediately, a shaky transition on the foils, a drop in speed, and the door swung open. Peter Burling didn’t hesitate, the Black Foils surged into the lead and attempted to pin the British back before they found rhythm.
Fletcher’s answer showed why this team now has a star on its CV. He split at the final upwind gate, an aggressive option that only pays if you are certain of both speed and handling. When the boats converged again, the British F50 was no longer recovering, it was disappearing. They finished the Grand Final in 8 minutes and 13 seconds, above 50 km/h, with the deck completely cleared behind them.
Australia recovered to second; New Zealand settled for third. Both left knowing they had been beaten decisively, not dramatically.
The trophy sits in British hands because they eliminated the weakest part of their identity, inconsistency. Their highs were sustained, their lows never catastrophic. They won the regular season. They won the final. They topped the sustainability leaderboard. It was not a surge, it was a statement.
Australia remain a threat, but the aura of inevitability that once accompanied them is gone. This podium was earned through experience more than excellence. New Zealand showed again that volatility at this level is a ceiling you cannot punch through.
Spain’s progress is notable but belongs outside the title narrative. A fourth place finish confirms they are improving, it does not place them at the table where championships are decided. In SailGP, proximity isn’t relevance.
The key point now is simple, this final was not an ending, it was a line drawn in the water. The calendar reset comes with almost no pause. The 2026 season begins in Perth on 17–18 January and returns to Abu Dhabi for the finale on 28–29 November. Thirteen events, three continents, and a competition scale that will punish any team still adjusting or waiting for momentum to arrive. Sweden enter the league and raise the competitive baseline. Spain will host again, although the choice between Barcelona and Valencia reflects the commercial edge this championship continues to sharpen.
Great Britain enter the new season not only as champions, but as the benchmark. They have learned that survival on the bad days is as important as brilliance on the good ones. They have learned when to take risk, and when to force others into it. They have learned that pressure, properly understood, is a strategic asset.
No speeches will change things for Australia or New Zealand. Only upgrades will.
Everything that matters in 2026 starts from the first start gun in Perth. Every race will carry weight. Every weekend will confront the fleet with the same test, who can live in the red zone without flinching?
Abu Dhabi did not provide a plot twist, it provided clarity. The best team of the year became the best team when it mattered most. Fletcher did not inherit a crown, he took it, and left the scoreboard to finish the conversation.
In SailGP, you either arrive first, or you explain why you didn’t. And Great Britain have stopped explaining.
