January 17, 2025 • 7 mins
Auckland's maiden SailGP event this weekend could provide some extra thrills – and even spills.
Not only are the fleet competing with the new high-speed foils, they'll be split into two six-boat heats, meaning more races – and possibly more close shaves on the tight Waitematā Harbour course.
Dylan Fletcher, the driver for Team Great Britain, told Piney that there’s been plenty of differences between the teams as they adapt to the boats.
“I’d say that there’s been a little bit more looseness out there, some more crashing, so I think it’ll be a great weekend for the fans.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk Z'B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, buzzing. Can't wait to get out there and get
on the race course.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
The tefoils are on everybody's mind. Everyone's been talking about
them this week. Tell us about your experience with the
new titanium tefoils.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, it's fantastic to get them one. It's obviously a
bit more similar to what we were using over in Barcelona,
so there's been plenty of interesting differences between the teams.
I'd say that there's been a little bit more looseness
out there, some more crashing. So I think it'll be
a great weekend for the fans.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
That does it bring into sharper focus the skill of
the sailors we're going at at faster speeds.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I think that the fastest speeds will be great, but
I also think it's about how we learn and adapt
to these new tfoils and how the boat behaves. So
there's certainly plenty for us to get on top of.
And we've seen some, as you say, some differences and
we're all trying to work out the best way to
get the boats around the race course.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
What are your experiences with them, what have you it
to adjust the most.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
There's some different settings that we can play with, and
the cant sor the angle that it drops at is
very similar in reality again to the sort of the
seventy five the aight forties, So trying to work out
where we can bring the experience from the cup, but
also how different it is in CELGP with the fifty Casmaran.
So there's plenty going on.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
So you're backing into Cell GP. Obviously the change of
dry has it been relatively seamless as far as your consuit.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I think it feels good to be back in Emirates GBR,
but obviously the team's very experienced, and I know that
the level has gone at massively since season one, so
I'm very much just hanging off what the team's telling
me and trying to do best job I can.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
You must obviously have kept a close eye on Cell GP,
though as you say you were involved in season one,
you clearly have kept an eye on its development over
over seasons two, three, four into five.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Now, yeah, certainly kept an eye and I was even
sort of working behind the scenes in season three. So yeah,
it's great to finally be back driving, and the boats
have got a lot faster, a lot better, the teams
are a lot better, and I think that it's just amazing,
to be honest, you know, I think this event here
really shows SELGP at its best. We've got you know,
eight thousand you know, seats in the grandstand right by
(02:22):
the race course, the tech areas right here, we've got
all the moorings which are really closed. It's amazing to
see all the fans here already. So I just hope
that we put on a great show for everyone.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Oh, I don't think there's any any danger of that
not hppening. Obviously, you've come in for Garles Scott, who's
gone to the Canadian team. Can you tell us how
that conversation happened? Who run you? Was of an easy years.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
It was very fluid and it was quite late, to
be honest, Ben knows, I've always been pushing to get
back on the boat or back in an F fifty
ever since that first season, and you know, I guess
I was slightly surprised at first when Garles went to
the Canadians, but it all fell into place quite nicely.
At the end of my time in Barcelona with Ben
saying that, you know, I'd got the gig and I
(03:03):
was driving, So yeah, an exceptional lent, exceptional summer.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
What has Subbin like to deal with?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Formidable? But he's he's really nice, to be honest, and
you always know where you are with him, and yeah,
I certainly have a good relationship.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So Dubai the season opening of be into Dubai second there,
you must have been pretty happy with it, were you.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, I guess pretty Happy's a probably a good way
of putting it. Certainly, we know it's a long season
in SELGP and we're all about getting into that Grand Final,
but at the end of the day, we're trying to
win every event, and to be honest, I'm still sort
of slightly annoyed at myself for part of that in
terms of I just wanted to win, and you know,
being being by the keywis is something I don't enjoy.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Well, you'll probably enjoy it list out here with eight
thousand if it happens, of course, with eight thousand cheerings.
So what were you annoyed personally? It's something you did
or didn't do.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, we were leading the race sort of halfway through,
and you know, a little mistake from myself on you know,
open the door for Pete and I know that you know,
he'll take any opportunity you get. So it was a
frustrating one, but yeah, we'll live and lane.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Well, let's talk about the conditions out here across the
next two days. You've obviously been training practicing out here.
What impact do you expect the conditions to have on
racing today and tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I think it's gonna be very hectic and close. The
last two days we've been racing with fleets of five
or six boats, and today is the first time we've
got all eleven on the racecourse and it felt small
with six boats, So eleven it's going to feel real small.
So I'm expecting plenty of furs and spills, some crashes,
and yeah, just trying to keep it on its feet
(04:43):
is going to be the important part.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
So actually, you're going into the racing expecting that there
will be some carnage.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yes, hopefully no one actually touches, but you know, we've
seen plenty of crashes. The Germans, you know, nearly put
it in a tide yesterday around the bottom mark. I
think the Brazilians nearly put it in the tide, so
there's plenty going on.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
What's it? What is it like though with with other boats?
High speed, close proximity, low margin for era? How how
cool hidded do you have to be in situations like that?
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah? I guess you've got to keep your call. But
to be honest, I think this is what all of
us live for. We absolutely love it out there and
having eleven boats and going you know, ninety k's and
now one hundred ks now hopefully, is that's what we
live for?
Speaker 3 (05:25):
You reckon you had a hundred? I hope.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
So?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
And what about rounding the marks because again, you know
they're very close proximity. They talk about getting elbows out,
don't they things like that? As you know, you're ready
for that sort of thing this afternoon and tomorrow as well. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I think it's that famous quote. You know, if you
see a gap, you've got to go for it. Otherwise
you're no longer a racing driver, so you'll be giving
it everything your fifties.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
How do they compared to the other craft that you've seldom.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
They're you know, they're formidable really as well. They're just
the speed is high. It's not as quick as some
of the others, but it's the fact that you're very
exposed open, you're having to run across the boat when
you're doing you know, seventy eighty ks an now, which
is it's pretty full on. So and I think for
me the main thing is just the fact that we
got ten of the boats on the race course. It's
(06:12):
super tight, it's ever changing, so it's some of the
best racing in a while.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
To be honest, in the start obviously important, you know,
doubly so with so many boats, not a lot of
room or time to overtake. So if you don't get
the start right, can you still put together an impressive
performance beyond the start line? If you get my.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Drift, Yeah, I think that you saw, you know, if
you look back at Dubai from sort of the stats
and everything, and asselves, I think the Kiwis were the
best overtakers and we were the second best overtakers, and
neither of us started particularly well. So I guess it's
that balance. Ideally you start well, but if you don't
start well, make sure you overtake well.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Fear enough you're excited, Yeah, looking forward to great to
see you, Dylan, all the bits out there today. And tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping him for a chain.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Thanks for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen
live to news talks it'd be weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk Z'B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, buzzing. Can't wait to get out there and get
on the race course.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
The tefoils are on everybody's mind. Everyone's been talking about
them this week. Tell us about your experience with the
new titanium tefoils.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, it's fantastic to get them one. It's obviously a
bit more similar to what we were using over in Barcelona,
so there's been plenty of interesting differences between the teams.
I'd say that there's been a little bit more looseness
out there, some more crashing. So I think it'll be
a great weekend for the fans.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
That does it bring into sharper focus the skill of
the sailors we're going at at faster speeds.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I think that the fastest speeds will be great, but
I also think it's about how we learn and adapt
to these new tfoils and how the boat behaves. So
there's certainly plenty for us to get on top of.
And we've seen some, as you say, some differences and
we're all trying to work out the best way to
get the boats around the race course.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
What are your experiences with them, what have you it
to adjust the most.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
There's some different settings that we can play with, and
the cant sor the angle that it drops at is
very similar in reality again to the sort of the
seventy five the aight forties, So trying to work out
where we can bring the experience from the cup, but
also how different it is in CELGP with the fifty Casmaran.
So there's plenty going on.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
So you're backing into Cell GP. Obviously the change of
dry has it been relatively seamless as far as your consuit.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
I think it feels good to be back in Emirates GBR,
but obviously the team's very experienced, and I know that
the level has gone at massively since season one, so
I'm very much just hanging off what the team's telling
me and trying to do best job I can.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
You must obviously have kept a close eye on Cell GP,
though as you say you were involved in season one,
you clearly have kept an eye on its development over
over seasons two, three, four into five.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Now, yeah, certainly kept an eye and I was even
sort of working behind the scenes in season three. So yeah,
it's great to finally be back driving, and the boats
have got a lot faster, a lot better, the teams
are a lot better, and I think that it's just amazing,
to be honest, you know, I think this event here
really shows SELGP at its best. We've got you know,
eight thousand you know, seats in the grandstand right by
(02:22):
the race course, the tech areas right here, we've got
all the moorings which are really closed. It's amazing to
see all the fans here already. So I just hope
that we put on a great show for everyone.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Oh, I don't think there's any any danger of that
not hppening. Obviously, you've come in for Garles Scott, who's
gone to the Canadian team. Can you tell us how
that conversation happened? Who run you? Was of an easy years.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
It was very fluid and it was quite late, to
be honest, Ben knows, I've always been pushing to get
back on the boat or back in an F fifty
ever since that first season, and you know, I guess
I was slightly surprised at first when Garles went to
the Canadians, but it all fell into place quite nicely.
At the end of my time in Barcelona with Ben
saying that, you know, I'd got the gig and I
(03:03):
was driving, So yeah, an exceptional lent, exceptional summer.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
What has Subbin like to deal with?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Formidable? But he's he's really nice, to be honest, and
you always know where you are with him, and yeah,
I certainly have a good relationship.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So Dubai the season opening of be into Dubai second there,
you must have been pretty happy with it, were you.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, I guess pretty Happy's a probably a good way
of putting it. Certainly, we know it's a long season
in SELGP and we're all about getting into that Grand Final,
but at the end of the day, we're trying to
win every event, and to be honest, I'm still sort
of slightly annoyed at myself for part of that in
terms of I just wanted to win, and you know,
being being by the keywis is something I don't enjoy.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Well, you'll probably enjoy it list out here with eight
thousand if it happens, of course, with eight thousand cheerings.
So what were you annoyed personally? It's something you did
or didn't do.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, we were leading the race sort of halfway through,
and you know, a little mistake from myself on you know,
open the door for Pete and I know that you know,
he'll take any opportunity you get. So it was a
frustrating one, but yeah, we'll live and lane.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Well, let's talk about the conditions out here across the
next two days. You've obviously been training practicing out here.
What impact do you expect the conditions to have on
racing today and tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I think it's gonna be very hectic and close. The
last two days we've been racing with fleets of five
or six boats, and today is the first time we've
got all eleven on the racecourse and it felt small
with six boats, So eleven it's going to feel real small.
So I'm expecting plenty of furs and spills, some crashes,
and yeah, just trying to keep it on its feet
(04:43):
is going to be the important part.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
So actually, you're going into the racing expecting that there
will be some carnage.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yes, hopefully no one actually touches, but you know, we've
seen plenty of crashes. The Germans, you know, nearly put
it in a tide yesterday around the bottom mark. I
think the Brazilians nearly put it in the tide, so
there's plenty going on.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
What's it? What is it like though with with other boats?
High speed, close proximity, low margin for era? How how
cool hidded do you have to be in situations like that?
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah? I guess you've got to keep your call. But
to be honest, I think this is what all of
us live for. We absolutely love it out there and
having eleven boats and going you know, ninety k's and
now one hundred ks now hopefully, is that's what we
live for?
Speaker 3 (05:25):
You reckon you had a hundred? I hope.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
So?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
And what about rounding the marks because again, you know
they're very close proximity. They talk about getting elbows out,
don't they things like that? As you know, you're ready
for that sort of thing this afternoon and tomorrow as well. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I think it's that famous quote. You know, if you
see a gap, you've got to go for it. Otherwise
you're no longer a racing driver, so you'll be giving
it everything your fifties.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
How do they compared to the other craft that you've seldom.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
They're you know, they're formidable really as well. They're just
the speed is high. It's not as quick as some
of the others, but it's the fact that you're very
exposed open, you're having to run across the boat when
you're doing you know, seventy eighty ks an now, which
is it's pretty full on. So and I think for
me the main thing is just the fact that we
got ten of the boats on the race course. It's
(06:12):
super tight, it's ever changing, so it's some of the
best racing in a while.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
To be honest, in the start obviously important, you know,
doubly so with so many boats, not a lot of
room or time to overtake. So if you don't get
the start right, can you still put together an impressive
performance beyond the start line? If you get my.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Drift, Yeah, I think that you saw, you know, if
you look back at Dubai from sort of the stats
and everything, and asselves, I think the Kiwis were the
best overtakers and we were the second best overtakers, and
neither of us started particularly well. So I guess it's
that balance. Ideally you start well, but if you don't
start well, make sure you overtake well.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Fear enough you're excited, Yeah, looking forward to great to
see you, Dylan, all the bits out there today. And tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping him for a chain.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Thanks for more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen
live to news talks it'd be weekends from midday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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