Olympic champion and former driver of the British SailGP Team Dylan Fletcher is returning to the league as driver of Emirates GBR for the 2025 Season.

Fletcher, who co-drove INEOS Britannia in this summer's America’s Cup alongside Emirates GBR CEO Ben Ainslie, will take the wheel of the British F50 next week when the 2025 Season opening event gets underway in Dubai.

It comes after former driver Giles Scott transferred to the Canadian team in the sport’s first ever transfer fee deal.

Fletcher comes with past F50 experience. He drove the British team in SailGP’s first ever season before being replaced by Ainslie in Season 2.

Reflecting on the news, Fletcher said he was ‘buzzing to be back sailing the F50 again’.

Looking back, he said ‘a lot has changed’ since he drove the F50 in Season 1, pointing to his Olympic gold win in Tokyo 2020 (2021), winning the Moth World Championships and co-driving the British team alongside Ainslie in the 37th America’s Cup.

“The SailGP format of 12 boats racing around a really short course at incredible speeds in amazing venues is a dream really,” he added. “We will be taking on some of the best sailors in the world but I’m joining a seriously talented team and looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

Mills added that she was looking forward to ‘building a high-performing partnership’ with Fletcher.

“Dylan is a fantastic addition, and having competed alongside him at the Olympics, I know firsthand how dedicated he is to winning races.”

It comes as Emirates GBR confirmed the rest of the crew line-up for the upcoming season, with the return of strategist Hannah Mills, wing trimmer Iain Jensen, flight controller Luke Parkinson and grinders Neil Hunter and Nick Hutton. Kai Hockley completes the squad as a development sailor.

The 18-year-old from Tottenham, London spent the last nine months with the team and will now combine an on-shore role with an on-water development pathway with the eventual aim of racing on the F50.