SAILGP
Tom Slingsby’s BONDS Flying Roos will go into the second day of the ENEL Rio Sail Grand Prix in pole position despite a costly penalty that left the Aussie driver fuming.
Slingsby’s team came out on top after a challenging opening day on Guanabara Bay as SailGP made its long-awaited South American debut in front of a packed Race Stadium.
On a day when the tiniest slip-up was punished ruthlessly by Rio’s fickle breeze, the Australians looked composed, clinical and, at times, untouchable – but it was far from a smooth ride.
Follow the racing blow-by-blow on our live blog.
The BONDS Flying Roos were handed a penalty in the fourth and final race of the day after they were judged to have not kept clear of the Swiss team just moments from the finish line.
The setback – slipping from first to third – threatened to derail the Aussies’ momentum just as they were stamping their authority on the fleet.
Three-time Rolex SailGP champion Slingsby made his frustrations clear on the water as precious points slipped through his fingers.
“The Swiss boat were in last place and coming upwind as we were going downwind,” Slingsby explained. “We turned down to avoid them, no issue, and we got a penalty. We had to lose 20 meters, and after losing 100 meters our penalty light was still on. It’s frustrating.”
Despite the frustration, Slingsby managed to find positives in his team’s performance.
“I really enjoyed racing today,” he added. “It was really tough and patchy, like a game of snakes and ladders, but we were a bit lucky, managed to work our way through the fleet, and came away with some decent results.”
Taylor Canfield’s US SailGP Team sit second just one point behind their Aussie rivals after a stellar day that saw them finish no worse than fifth over the four races.
The US team came into Rio on the back of victory at the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix – their first in SailGP under driver Canfield – and picked up where they left off, securing third in the opening race.
“It was a tricky and super challenging racecourse today, with a lot of ups and downs between foiling and not foiling, but overall it’s been a really positive experience,” Canfield said.
Sweden’s Artemis SailGP round out the podium on day one thanks in part to a solid win in the opening race.
Nathan Outteridge’s outfit followed up with a second, before slipping off the pace with a sixth and a ninth. Still, it’s enough to see them stay just two points off the top spot.
A race four victory for Erik Heil’s Germany by Deutsche Bank solidified their fourth place on the overnight leaderboard, while Red Bull Italy’s first race win under Phil Robertson sees them fifth.
Los Gallos showed flashes of brilliance, capitalising on clean starts and smart positioning to stay within striking distance heading into day two.
A welcome sight was DS Team France back in action after a herculean effort by SailGP Technologies to repair their stricken F50, damaged in a horror crash with the Black Foils in Auckland.
Quentin Delapierre’s team – bolstered by the Black Foil strategist Liv Mackay and super sub Glenn Ashby – posted two solid fourths, a reminder they’ve not lost any speed in their absence.
Home team Mubadala Brazil suffered a setback prior to racing when their telemetry system went down, forcing them out of the opening two races.
Huge cheers went up from the Race Stadium as Martine Grael’s crew left the dock ahead of race three, going on to score a tenth and an eighth in their first outing in front of a home crowd.
One of the day’s biggest shocks was the performance of reigning Rolex SailGP Champions Emirates GBR, who, after withdrawing from the first race with technical issues, could only manage a 6, 11, 12 scoreline.
They go into day two in 12th overall – and a lot to do if they are going to keep up their podium streak which dates back to the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in July 2025.
Don’t miss the action from Super Sunday in Rio – find out how to watch HERE.
