Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful sailor in Olympic history, has transitioned from helm to shore as CEO and team principal of Emirates GBR in the SailGP circuit. Now 49, Ainslie embraces the emotional intensity of watching his team compete from dry land.
A New Perspective from the Sidelines
"We always joke that the people watching off the boat is sort of like being an armchair admin. So to a certain extent, I guess that's me," Ainslie said. "You've got more time to think about it and watching the full fleet so you end up being more emotional about it because when you're in the heat of battle, you're just focused on what you can do."
Ainslie handed the driving wheel to double Olympic champion Giles Scott in 2024 before current driver Dylan Fletcher took the helm for the 2025 season. Fletcher, a Tokyo 2020 gold medallist, steered the team to its first SailGP championship in his debut season.
Team Transition and Success
"The big switch, obviously, was Dylan coming in and taking over from my role driving," said Ainslie. "He's done a fantastic job. It's good to see his progression coming through, not just the technical element of driving the boat, but also the team element that comes with that. That's constantly evolving."
Emirates GBR started their title defence strongly with a win in Perth, followed by a series of top-three finishes. However, mid-season challenges emerged, including race-ending wing damage at the Halifax GP in Canada.
Looking Ahead to Portsmouth GP
With Tom Slingsbury's Bonds Flying Roos leading the overall standings after seven races, Ainslie hopes the upcoming Portsmouth GP on home waters will reignite their campaign. "The Australians have had just an amazing season so far," he said. "We have actually had quite a similar start to last season. We started off really well last season, and then we had a sort of mid-season wobble, which means we've had some inconsistent results in the last three or four events now as well. Portsmouth was a bit of a transformative event for us last season, so hopefully, it can be again this time round."
The Growth of SailGP
Ainslie highlighted SailGP's impact on the sport. "This is the first time that we've had in sailing a proper global circuit with this amount of investment that is really making huge strides in terms of the fanbase," he said. "And ultimately, the athletes want to be performing at the very highest level against the best athletes in the best boats for their country. I think SailGP provides that avenue."
The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth will launch the European leg of the 2026 SailGP season on 25-26 July, featuring world-class racing, food, drink, and entertainment, including performances by Jess Glynne and Craig David.
