Britain claim first SailGP championship with Abu Dhabi victory
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Nov 30 - Britain won the SailGP 2025 championship on Sunday, beating New Zealand and Australia in a thrilling final in Abu Dhabi to lift the trophy and a $2 million prize.
"It was unbelievable," said Emirates GBR skipper Dylan Fletcher, adding he was "over the moon right now" as the British crew celebrated their first SailGP championship victory.
The British team founded by Ben Ainslie had gone into the final event of the season at the top of the overall leaderboard and were the most consistent of the league's 12 crews.
New Zealand's Black Foils, led by Peter Burling, had also been looking to win their first championship, while Australian Tom Slingsby's Flying Roos were aiming to regain the title they lost to Spain's Los Gallos in the 2024 grand final.
Slingsby said he was "incredibly proud" of his crew, adding that it had been "a season of highs and lows" for them.
Australia led off the start in Sunday's grand final, with Britain and New Zealand in hot pursuit. The lead changed hands several times before Fletcher's crew were able to establish a clear advantage by reading some tricky wind shifts. REUTERS
