DUBAI - Peter Burling's New Zealand secured the opening win of the Rolex SailGP season on Sunday, triumphing over Britain and the United States in the final of the Dubai event.
The win marks New Zealand’s third straight victory in the championship's season-opening event, held in the picturesque waters off Port Mina Rashid.
"Awesome play from the group," Burling said. "We really pulled it out... got a great start, and hit it right at Mark One.
"I made a bad choice making it a bit more complicated – taking a right turn – which put us right back in the pack, but then it was clean, and it was good to race from there to take a win."
Sunday’s conditions offered a stark contrast to the light-air technical racing seen on Saturday, with stronger breezes enabling the 11 competing teams to showcase high-speed foiling action for fans lining the shoreline.
Dylan Fletcher, competing in his first SailGP event since Season One, delivered an impressive performance for Emirates GBR, securing second place after holding off strong challenges from reigning champions Spain.
"This was a big result for the team," Fletcher said. "To come out strong in these conditions and against such a competitive fleet is a great sign of where we’re headed this season."
The United States SailGP Team, led by driver Taylor Canfield, celebrated their return to the podium with a third-place finish. The all-American crew hadn’t made the top three since their last appearance in the Middle East but delivered a consistent performance across both days.
"Any event going on the podium is incredible," Canfield said. "It’s awesome to see how all the hard work we’ve put in is paying off. Everyone dug in deep and found a way to get better today – that’s the goal, and it just shows how much fight this team has."
Elsewhere, newcomers Red Bull Italy and Mubadala Brazil continued their steep learning curve in the championship. Brazil’s driver, Martine Grael, was optimistic despite finishing at the back of the pack.
"There were a lot of challenges, some during the first day – our first time in big winds," Grael said. "But I think it’s all going well, and I’m very happy with our crew. It’s been a steep learning curve."
Heading into the fifth and final fleet race, tight battles emerged between Britain, Spain, and Australia. Despite leading after day one, the Australians faltered with a last-place finish in race five, while Spain also fell short, missing out on the final.
New Zealand now leads the early standings as the Rolex SailGP Championship season resumes in 2025.SailGP season standings after Race One:
Season Five SailGP season:
Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix – Dubai, UAE – Nov. 23-24, 2024
ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix – Auckland, New Zealand – Jan. 18-19, 2025
KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix – Sydney, Australia – Feb. 8-9, 2025
Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix – Los Angeles, U.S. – Mar. 15-16, 2025
San Francisco Sail Grand Prix – San Francisco, U.S. – Mar. 22-23, 2025
Brazil Sail Grand Prix – TBA, Brazil – May 3-4, 2025
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix – New York, U.S. – June 7-8, 2025
GB Sail Grand Prix – Portsmouth, Britain – July 19-20, 2025
Germany Sail Grand Prix – TBA, Germany – Aug. 16-17, 2025
ROCKWOOL Italy Sail Grand Prix – Taranto, Italy – Sept. 6-7, 2025
Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix – Geneva, Switzerland – Sept. 20-21, 2025
Spain Sail Grand Prix – Cadiz, Spain – Oct. 4-5, 2025
Middle Eastern Sail Grand Prix – TBA – Nov. 7-8, 2025
Mubadala Abu Dhabi SailGP Grand Final – Abu Dhabi, UAE – Nov. 29-30, 2025
(Editing by Christian Radnedge)
