Champions Great Britain win opening SailGP round
Dylan Fletcher led Great Britain to the win with a successful second day's sailing
- Published
Defending champions Great Britain secured victory in the opening round of this year's SailGP championship.
Helmed by Dylan Fletcher, they won two of three fleet races before holding off Australia and France in the winner-takes-all final on the second day of racing in Perth.
Fletcher described it as "an incredible result", adding: "We're stoked. Right now, I feel on cloud nine."
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie, the team's chief executive officer, said he was "so proud" of their efforts.
Great Britain were crowned SailGP champions in Abu Dhabi in November.
The hi-tech series sees nations race against each other over the course of a year using F50 catamarans capable of reaching up to 60mph (100km/h).
Following events staged across the globe, a final showdown sees the top three points scorers go head-to-head in a grand final.
