Tom Slingsby’s crew storms back to beat France and Great Britain in the competition’s first Middle East event DUBAI: The Australia SailGP Team has won the inaugural Dubai Sail Grand Prix at Mina Rashid, presented by P&O Marinas, marking a dramatic debut to the competition in the Middle East. Tom Slingsby’s Australian team overtook both France and Great Britain from what had seemed winning positions to storm back onto the winner’s podium in the final race of this weekend’s action. Australia now leads the championship by nine points from New Zealand, with France one point further back, as the nine participating teams head into the final leg of the season. The Middle East’s debut appearance on the SailGP calendar attracted thousands of fans to the shoreline of the Mina Rashid race village, meters away from the action. SailGP has already confirmed that it will return to the Middle East in 2023, this time with two events at locations to be announced in the coming months. Saeed Hareb, secretary-general of the Dubai Sports Council, praised the contribution of the Dubai Sail Grand Prix to the Emirate’s growing sports portfolio. “Dubai’s hosting of this global championship shows the UAE’s experience and expertise in organizing major sporting global events at the highest level. “Our deep-rooted sailing heritage continues to grow, as we further enjoy significant achievements across multiple water sports, ranging from traditional Dhow sailing to speedboating. We are proud of our facilities, beaches and the high standards that have become a feature of all tournaments and events held in the UAE.” Russell Coutts, CEO of SailGP, said: “Dubai was the closest final we have ever seen, and the best amphitheater for watching the racing — the fans were closer to the boats than they have ever been in any other venue, and I think everyone would agree it was a tremendous success.”