Hannah Mills Optimistic About Home SailGP Win in Portsmouth

Olympic champions Hannah Mills and Dylan Fletcher aimed to get Team Emirates GBR back to winning ways during their home SailGP race in Portsmouth. The British team had experienced a freak crash in their previous race in Halifax, Canada, but they regrouped in preparation for the event this weekend, with up to 20,000 local fans expected to support them. Mills observed that while the start to the season was strong, the team faced some challenges that left them tied on points with the second-placed Spanish team, Los Gallos. Despite the struggle, a place in the grand final remained possible as the season progressed.

Mills commented on the Halifax incident, stating, "It was obviously a tough day in Halifax with some damage during the race. A lot of frustration from everyone. But ultimately, it's important for individuals and teams to let that out, have those moments of just being frustrated or whatever the feelings are, and then it's all about how quickly we can come back together."

Right after the race, the team had a meeting to discuss the experience, evaluate their performance, and ensure everyone was aligned. Mills mentioned, "Since then, we've been building on the learnings and focusing on this event."

In SailGP, boats can reach speeds exceeding 100 km/h in close-to-shore stadium racing. The Emirates GBR team, reigning world champions, sought a victory in Portsmouth, where they had finished second in the circuit’s debut last year. They aimed for the top finish to close the gap towards the Grand Final later this year.

Mills, a double Olympic champion in the women’s 470 event in 2016 and 2020, noted that winning in Portsmouth would rank among her top achievements. She stated, "Nothing can compare with racing in front of a home crowd, let alone winning in front of a home crowd. Hopefully, we'll get to find out on Sunday."

Mills appreciated the race's length, stating, "This is one of the longer races we have in SailGP which is nice. Particularly for me as a strategist, it gives me a little bit more time to get your head out and to do some boat-on-boat strategical decisions."

Fletcher, who also medaled at the Tokyo 2020 Games, expressed that the Halifax crash was an unusual mistake, stating, "You always must pick yourself up and move on. We felt as though we haven't delivered our best yet this season, so we're just really looking to build up from here to that grand final when we need to be at our very peak."

Australia’s Bonds Flying Roos led the fleet with three wins before Canada. At the season's halfway mark, several teams, including debutants Artemis from Sweden and the United States, remained in contention. Fletcher remarked on the competitive nature of the race, indicating the diverse backgrounds among the sailors, and expressed the team's desire to win, particularly at home.