SailGP: Black Foils Crash the British Party (Again), Switzerland Breaks Through Despite Breakdown
- Romy Kraus
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
New Zealand rewrites the leaderboard with a gritty comeback in front of 20,000 fans, leaving Emirates GBR frustrated and France roaring back from disaster; First-ever podium appearance marred by tech failure, but SUI proves they belong
They’ve done it again. In front of a raucous home crowd on the Solent, Peter Burling and the New Zealand SailGP Team stormed from behind to snatch victory from Emirates GBR, handing Dylan Fletcher’s crew a stinging second place on home waters. While it was heartbreak for the Brits and a mechanical meltdown for Switzerland, the Black Foils left Portsmouth grinning—and sitting pretty at the top of the Season 2025 standings.
SailGP’s latest chapter served up everything: brutal crosswinds, record crowds, flying hulls, broken tech, redemption arcs, and a party that rolled deep into the night. Here's the fallout.
The Lowdown
New Zealand leapfrogs Australia on the overall leaderboard
Switzerland reaches their first-ever final, despite a mid-race breakdownFrance bounces back from near-disaster with a huge Sunday push
Australia fumbles again, and the pressure’s on
Record fan turnout with full festival vibes in Portsmouth
Next stop: Sassnitz, Germany – August 16–17
“To Pull Off the Win Today? Super Pleased” – Peter Burling
New Zealand crushes the final, takes the top spot on the leaderboard
Black Foils came from behind in a sprint-style final, overtaking a flying Swiss start and a polished British team. With this win, New Zealand now leads Season 2025—just months after trailing in the mid-pack.
This is the second time Burling has spoiled a British home final (last time was Plymouth, Season 3).
Australia’s stumble means the Kiwis now control the leaderboard.
“We were riding some pretty challenging conditions... To pull off the win today, we’re super pleased.” – Peter Burling
“To start the European leg on top is something we’re really proud of – I’m really pleased with the way we fought.” – Peter Burling
“We’re Pretty Gutted” – Emirates GBR Miss the Win at Home Again
Dylan Fletcher’s team falls just short, but tightens grip on the podium race
It was another brutal home heartbreak for the British team. Emirates GBR sailed a nearly flawless weekend but couldn’t finish the job when it counted most. They’re now just one point off third overall.
Mills, Fletcher and co. bounced back from shaky earlier events but still haven’t cracked the win column in 2025.
“We felt like everyone sailed so well, but didn’t quite manage to do it in the final.” – Hannah Mills
“Still, super proud of how we bounced back after some rough events.” – Hannah Mills
“We Deserved This Final” – Switzerland’s First-Ever Podium Push
SUI goes from underdogs to contenders, despite heartbreak mid-race
Seb Schneiter’s squad shocked the fleet with a massive start in the final but were halted by a technical breakdown. Still, their third-place finish marks a milestone for the young Swiss team.
Switzerland becomes the sixth nation to reach a SailGP final.
“We had an awesome start and were right there in the fight.” – Sébastien Schneiter
“It’s a shame we had to stop, but we’ll be back.” – Sébastien Schneiter
“If We Weren’t Racing, We’d Be Overthinking” – France’s Bounce-Back
From a wrecked wing to a race win, France brings drama
France missed all of Saturday after suffering major wing damage, but came back Sunday like nothing happened—snagging two top-3 finishes including a Race 6 win.
Quentin Delapierre’s crew fought through trauma and turmoil, putting them back in the top-5 hunt.
“It was pretty scary to go straight from dock-out at 50 knots into racing.” – Quentin Delapierre“We pushed through.” – Quentin Delapierre
“I’m Still Shocked We Got That Penalty” – Australia Drops Again
Slingsby’s crew slide to second on the table after missing the final
Australia’s second straight miss in a final keeps them stuck behind New Zealand. A disputed penalty and some uncharacteristic errors cost them a shot at redemption in Portsmouth.
“I’m still shocked we got that penalty. We didn’t execute like we can – it’s frustrating.” – Tom Slingsby
“The Course Was Fun, But…” – Fleet Battles, Tech Failures & What Went Wrong
Canada, Brazil, USA, and others fight setbacks and sketchy setups
Canada just missed the final in a tight three-way with France and Switzerland. Brazil lost two races due to foiling issues. USA claimed a near-miss gate call cost them big. Germany and Denmark cited poor starts and tough overtaking zones.
Offset course layouts made clean passes rare—heightening frustration across the fleet.
“We didn’t start well and paid the price.” – Erik Heil (Germany)“Overtaking was nearly impossible with those offsets.” – Erik Heil
What’s Next: Can Germany Deliver at Home?
Sassnitz debut set for August 16–17
Germany hosts its first-ever Grand Prix next month. With fan momentum rising and their home crowd advantage looming, the pressure’s on for Erik Heil and team DEU to rise above mid-pack mediocrity.
