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Ainslie gives Fletcher the British SailGP team helm

Ben Ainslie chose Dylan Fletcher as the British skipper for SailGP’s fifth season. The league’s Canadian team will begin in Dubai just a little over a week. Fletcher fills the void left by Giles Scott who joined the Canadian team.

Fletcher is back at SailGP, this time as the 'driver' for the team that Ainslie owns and runs. Ainslie also selected the 36-year old as his cohelm last month when Britain's attempt to win the America's Cup away from New Zealand ended in failure.

"This was the team I wanted be a part of. I think there's potential here, with the F50 and the America's Cup. Fletcher stated that he wanted to build everything together.

The British 49er Olympic gold-medal winner from Tokyo, who was the helmsman of the British high-speed foiling catamarans in SailGP’s first season, said that it would be much more difficult with its expansion to 12 teams and 14 events.

Fletcher, who missed three seasons of racing in the F50 simulator, said this during an interview just before flying to Dubai to train for pre-race.

He said that he has a winning team, but it is also about him and his ability to learn, as well as get started with a job well done. He added that he gained a great deal of knowledge during the America's Cup with Ainslie.

Fletcher noted that Ainslie, 47, had a "feel" for his boat. He added that at first it felt strange competing with the sailor he asked as a teen to sign his life jacket.

He said that his America's Cup lesson was to trust your instinct, no matter what boat you are on or how you feel. It's the same basic instinct.

'INCREDIBLE'

Fletcher said that he is looking forward to competing against Hannah Mills who he knows from their time as teenagers in the British Olympic sailing team. He added that they have developed similar communication styles.

"I hope our relationship works well and that we can make the most of each other," said Mills, who added that it was important for him to spend time "on the road".

Ainslie stated that Mills was a "standout candidate" for the driver's role. The team is supporting Mills' ambition to drive an F50 which can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour.

Mills' British crew finished second to Italy last month in the first America's Cup women's race.

Other returning SailGP crew members include flight controller Luke Parkinson and wing trimmer Iain Jensen, as well as grinders Neil Hunter and Nick Hutton.

Kai Hockley is a newcomer, having been a member of the SailGP shore teams and America's Cup shore team in Britain for nine months.

Hockley (18) will combine his role as a development engineer with the goal of racing in an F50.

SailGP announced that Emirates, who already sponsor the British team, would become the league’s official global airline and title sponsor of an event which will be held at Portsmouth, England's south coast, from July 19-20 in 2025.

It's going be amazing. Fletcher expressed his excitement at the prospect of racing in front of his home crowd. "I can't wait and I hope we have good weather," he said. (Reporting and editing by Toby Davis; Alexander Smith)

(source: Reuters)