Across its 12-event global calendar, the 2025 season delivered a number of landmark achievements, including the league’s transition to 100% clean energy for all on-shore operations. The milestone, first set as a target in 2021, was achieved through a combination of innovative energy solutions, including large-scale solar installations and the deployment of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

These technologies not only reduced emissions but also delivered tangible operational benefits. According to the report, the use of battery storage helped cut fuel consumption by more than 157,000 litres and saved over $300,000 across the season, demonstrating how sustainability initiatives can align with operational efficiency.

“The 2025 season represented a standout year for SailGP and its partners – one where ambition turned into action and performance, impact and commercial growth lived side by side,” said SailGP Managing Director Andrew Thompson.

Breaking barriers on the water

The 2025 season also marked a historic moment for gender equality in elite sailing. Brazilian Olympic champion Martine Grael became SailGP’s first female driver, taking the helm of the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team and securing a fleet race victory during her debut season in New York.

Her achievement represents an important milestone in a sport where women currently account for only a small proportion of elite competitors. SailGP has responded by embedding gender equity into its long-term strategy, committing to ensuring that every team includes at least two female athletes in key racing roles by 2030.

The league has also expanded its Women’s Performance Programme and leadership initiatives, reflecting a broader push to create more inclusive pathways into high-performance sailing both on and off the water.

Inspiring the next generation

Youth engagement remains another central pillar of SailGP’s impact strategy. During the 2025 season, the league engaged 11,383 young people through its SailGP Inspire programme, bringing total participation since the programme launched to more than 34,000.

Through partnerships with organisations such as Mubadala and Armstrong Foils, the programme combines on-water experiences, classroom learning and innovation challenges designed to inspire the next generation of sailors, engineers and marine innovators. SailGP’s longer-term ambition is to engage 100,000 young people through these programmes by the end of the decade.

The Impact League

Running alongside the Rolex SailGP Championship, the league’s Impact League – described as its “Podium for the Planet” continued to reward teams for their environmental and social initiatives.

Emirates GBR secured the Impact League title for the second consecutive season, finishing ahead of the Mubadala Brazil and NorthStar Canada teams. The competition evaluates teams across areas such as climate action, inclusion, gender equality and waste reduction.

“I’m so proud of the team for winning the Impact League for the second year running,” said Emirates GBR CEO Sir Ben Ainslie. “As a team, we want to make a positive impact both on and off the water.”

Leadership transition

The report also comes at a moment of leadership transition for SailGP’s sustainability programme. Fiona Morgan, the league’s Chief Purpose Officer, has announced she will step down after five years in the role. Appointed as the first Chief Purpose Officer in global sport, Morgan played a central role in embedding purpose into SailGP’s identity, helping establish initiatives such as the Impact League, the SailGP Inspire youth programme and the league’s focus on gender equity in high-performance sailing. Reflecting on her departure, Morgan said she was proud to have helped demonstrate that “sport grows stronger when it stands for more.”

Her departure inevitably raises questions about how SailGP will carry forward the next phase of its sustainability journey. Yet it may also signal that many of the systems and frameworks she helped establish are now embedded within the league’s operating model. As SailGP moves toward its 2030 targets – from clean-energy events to gender-balanced race crews and youth engagement – the real test will be whether purpose remains a visible leadership priority or evolves into a fully integrated part of how the league measures success.