The second and final day proved to be a challenging day for the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team across all three fleet races.
Day two of the Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix delivered challenging and unpredictable conditions, putting the fleet to the test on Guanabara Bay.
Racing took place in a variable breeze, averaging around 16 km/h with gusts up to 30 km/h. Teams raced powered up on the large 27.5m wing sails, but the conditions were far from straightforward.
The breeze funnelling over Sugarloaf Mountain created an unstable racecourse, with a significant wind hole forming at the top mark beneath the mountain. This compressed the fleet and added another layer of complexity. Combined with an unsettled sea state, manoeuvres became high-risk moments, placing crews under constant pressure to execute cleanly.
Hannah Mills, Strategist, Emirates GBR SailGP Team commented "It certainly wasn't our best weekend of racing and today just wasn't our day. We got ourselves into some nice positions off the start line, but rightly or wrongly we picked up penalties and made a few mistakes that dropped us to the back of the fleet. In these conditions, it's almost impossible to make gains.
It's been a tough event, but we've made a strong start to the season overall and we're still in a good position in the Championship. We'll get our heads down, regroup, dive into the data, review and reassess and come back stronger for Bermuda."
In the event final, Australia, Sweden, and Spain went head-to-head, with Australia delivering another clinical performance to seal the win. The result the Bonds Flying Roos leapfrog Emirates GBR SailGP Team in the 2026 Championship standings.
Emirates GBR drop to second overall but will have a quick opportunity to respond at the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix in four weeks' time, a chance to reset and regain their strong early-season form.
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