When the obstacles keep winning

The commercialization of the sport prompts a stream of sponsorship announcements to Scuttlebutt HQ. These updates seek media exposure. They get eye rolling, but a recent partnership also got head shaking:

“Mindflick named Official Performance Mindset Partner of Emirates GBR”

According to the press release, “Mindflick helps organisations maximise their people and teams’ potential by shifting mindsets at scale, creating genuine change that lasts.”

But Emirates GBR, the SailGP season champion in 2025, is tanking in 2026. They started with a 1-2-2 but since then have been in the bottom half of the fleet more than not. Is this the time to reveal a multi-year partnership for how to “perform under pressure”?

Noted team CEO Ben Ainslie, “Before Mindflick, we were often reactive. Now, we’re much better prepared for the different scenarios and challenges that come with competing at this level. It means that when obstacles come our way, we’re ready to tackle them together and keep performing.”

But aren’t the obstacles still winning?