Sydney SailGP podium streak ends for the Flying Roos amid unusually challenging conditions
by Bree Purvis 1 Mar 12:55 GMT
28 February - 1 March 2026
BONDS Flying Roos © SailGP
Tom Slingsby's hopes of securing a Podium Final appearance at his home event fell short, with the BONDS Flying Roos missing qualification for the Final at the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix for the first time since the league's inception.
The U.S. SailGP Team was crowned event winners following a Final against Emirates GBR (2nd) and Spain's Los Gallos (3rd).
Australia entered the final day almost guaranteed a place in the Podium Final, needing only a mid-fleet finish in the final qualifying race to secure progression.
In a tightly contested twilight afternoon of racing on a technical and unpredictable racecourse, Australia recorded fleet race finishes of 6th, 6th and 10th, ending the team's remarkable streak of podium appearances at every previous Sydney SailGP event.
Fleet Race Five saw the Australians locked in a late dogfight with Brazil to cross the finish line in sixth, before another difficult race in shifty conditions delivered a second sixth-place result. With pressure mounting across the fleet, Australia was unable to recover positions in the final qualifying race, finishing tenth and falling short of the three-boat Final to end the event in fifth overall.
BONDS Flying Roos Driver and CEO Tom Slingsby described his crew's result as a frustrating end to his home event:
"It's frustrating. We were in a really good position even going into the last race. We were still inside the top three on the leaderboard but we had a shocking final fleet race. We also had some pretty poor results earlier in the day so we just didn't sail well enough to make the Final and got the result we deserved."
Racing across the two-day event unfolded in exceptionally light conditions on Sydney Harbour, presenting significant challenges for all 11 national teams competing in the F50 fleet:
"When the wind drops that much, you're basically pumping the boards just to move forward which is essentially rowing the boat. I'm not sure how good that type of racing is in my opinion. If you're not even foiling most of the time, I'm not sure we should be racing in those conditions but that's just my view. Everyone knows I prefer strong winds and big waves, and I struggle more in light air. The winners won the event because they handled the conditions better, and we got beaten because we weren't good enough and that sits on my shoulders."
Despite thousands of fans lining the harbour foreshore and spectator fleet, conditions limited the high-speed racing typically associated with the Sydney event:
"There were so many fans out there cheering and unfortunately we were racing in non-foiling conditions. Sydney has been an incredible venue for seven years and has produced some of the best racing in SailGP."
The result marks the first time the Australians have missed a Podium Final on home waters in Sydney, highlighting the increasing depth and competitiveness across the growing SailGP fleet.
Looking ahead, Slingsby said the team would take valuable learnings from the weekend as the championship season continues.
"We actually handled the boat well but it was decision-making that let us down and that's my responsibility. I need to look closely at what I did wrong because I made a lot of mistakes today. Honestly, I don't yet know where all of them happened so we'll go back, review the footage and understand where we lost the most ground."
Despite the disappointing finish, the Aussies leave the event in second on the overall season standings, with strong performances earlier in the season ensuring they remain among the frontrunners (Emirates GBR) heading into the next event.
The U.S. SailGP Team went on to secure its first-ever event victory under the leadership of Taylor Canfield.
Attention now turns to the Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix (April 11-12), the next stop on the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship calendar, as the BONDS Flying Roos look to reset and rebuild momentum heading into the Americas leg of the season.