Emirates GBR narrowly missed out on a win at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix after the closest of battles with Australia's BONDS Flying Roos in the event final.
The Brits were just three seconds behind the Aussies as they crossed the line on the Hudson River, in what was the most thrilling finishes of the 2026 Season so far. As the two teams rounded the last mark practically neck and neck, both protested that the other team did not leave enough room, but the umpires concluded that no penalties were necessary.
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE said he was "proud" of the team's performance, but it was "bittersweet" that they didn't get the win.
"It was a great battle with the Aussies in that final race," Fletcher said.
"We were surprised they didn't get a penalty but when you leave it in the hands of the umpires it's always 50/50.
"It's a bittersweet feeling to not be standing on top of the podium but we've got to be proud of our performance this weekend.
"It was a fantastic day for the team and we felt like we were getting ourselves back on form after a tricky couple of events, especially looking at Rio which was similar conditions and configurations today where we really struggled. I'm really proud of how the team came out firing and there's certainly more gains to come."
Emirates GBR Strategist Hannah Mills OBE described the conditions on the Hudson as "hectic" and "super challenging".
"We were at the top end of conditions for the 27.5m wing a lot of times today," Mills said.
"We had the same situation in Rio as well so we took a lot of learnings from then and put them into practice today. We felt like we got our speed back today, so to get in that final and have such a good race with the Aussies was amazing. Our goal for this event was to get that feeling back, and it was just an unbelievably good race - so bring on Canada."
Emirates GBR will be back in action at the Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 20-21 June. The Brits were victorious the last time the championship stopped in Halifax back in 2024, and they will be looking to close the gap between them and the Aussies this time round. The current 2026 Season leaderboard sees Australia first on 55 points, Emirates GBR second on 44 points and United States third on 36 points.
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