Day 1 – Bonds Flying Roos, Los Gallos locked on points after wild Bermuda opener
The Bonds Flying Roos and Los Gallos top the table – tied on points (32 each) – after a fast and furious opening day of the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix.
Photo: Simon Bruty for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
The Great Sound lived up to its reputation as one of the fastest and most unforgiving venues in the Rolex SailGP Championship with big gusts and razor sharp crosses making for dramatic racing and unpredictable results. The U.S. SailGP Team proved their consistent form once more, rounding out Day 1 in third (28 points).
The day got off to a flying start for the U.S. SailGP Team, producing a commanding lights-to-flag victory in front of the sold-out crowd. After nailing the start, Taylor Canfield’s crew never once looked threatened, while Germany presented by Deutsche Bank and NorthStar completed an unexpected podium after both teams executed smart split-course strategy through the middle stages.
U.S. SailGP Team driver Taylor Canfield said: “What an epic day we had here. It was crazy. There was one mark we were going past where there were boats on all different sides of us going different directions and we had to hope everything worked itself out.”
Early penalties proved costly for several SailGP heavyweights, including Emirates GBR, who were punished for not keeping clear of Los Gallos, while the Bonds Flying Roos looked poised for a comeback before a late penalty for fouling Spain dropped Tom Slingsby’s team back to eighth.
Photo: Bob Martin for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
Race two belonged to the Bonds Flying Roos, who exploded off the start line and controlled the action from mark one. Behind them, ROCKWOOL Racing surged through the fleet with strong downwind pace to steal second from the Americans, while Los Gallos executed a late charge to edge onto the podium ahead of NorthStar and the U.S.
Race three produced some of the most chaotic racing seen this season. A wild, congested start saw ROCKWOOL Racing squeezed off the line by NorthStar, resulting in penalties and near-black-flag drama, while multiple teams struggled to find clean air in an increasingly frantic fleet.
Through the chaos, the Bonds Flying Roos and Los Gallos separated themselves from the pack by staying clear of traffic and sailing a cleaner tactical race. Diego Botín’s Spanish crew ultimately delivered one of their sharpest performances of the season to take victory ahead of the Australians, with Germany by Deutsche Bank continuing their impressive resurgence in third.
The final fleet race capped off a dramatic day with another statement performance from the Bonds Flying Roos. Red Bull Italy initially controlled the opening stages after leading around mark one, but Tom Slingsby’s crew made decisive gains on the right-hand side of the course to seize control by leg three. The Australians eventually held off Italy to secure their second win of the day, while Los Gallos’ fourth-place finish was enough to leave the Spanish tied with the Aussies atop the overall leaderboard heading into day two.
Photo: Bob Martin for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
Three-time Rolex SailGP champion Tom Slingsby said: “Today was pretty much perfect for these boats. The racing was incredibly close, and conditions on the Great Sound were unreal – 13 to 17 knots, flat water, crystal-clear blue water. It’s the kind of day you dream about as a sailor. If you were writing down your ideal racing conditions, it would look a lot like today.”
Heading into championship Sunday tied for first, Los Gallos driver Diego Botín said, “The conditions were perfect to sail these boats with flat water. At the same time we were a bit overranged, with the wind it was super hard to sail these boats.”
Beyond the results, the day’s other story was DS Automobiles Team France and stand-in wing trimmer Glenn Ashby, who suffered an injury crossing the trampoline during race two. The French were initially sidelined; however, in a remarkable development, returned in race four, thanks to an emergency athlete registration of Bonds Flying Roos reserve athlete Tom Needham stepping into the wing trimmer role.
Artemis did not compete after discovering a technical issue onboard in pre-race practice, with the SailGP tech team working on a repair to get the Swedish crew back on the starting line tomorrow.
Day 2 – Bonds Flying Roos extend championship lead with Bermuda masterclass
The Bonds Flying Roos continued their blistering midseason form with a commanding victory at the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix, defeating Los Gallos and Germany by Deutsche Bank in a tense winner-takes-all final on the Great Sound. The victory marks back-to-back event wins for Tom Slingsby’s Australian crew and their third event title of the 2026 Season.
Photo: Bob Martin for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
In a lighter, tactical final contested in a reduced five-athlete configuration, the Australians delivered a clinical performance from the outset. Slingsby’s crew owned the start from the middle of the line and steadily extended their advantage around the compact Bermuda racecourse, absorbing pressure from Los Gallos while Germany shadowed close behind.
It was a weekend where “everything clicked” for the three-time Rolex SailGP Champions, said Tom Slingsby. “The team was unbelievably well together – we were jelling, and it’s amazing to get a result like that.”
Slingsby continued, “Next up is New York, and I’m excited to get back on the start line. We have a really good dynamic going, we’re working well together as a team, and I’m looking forward to seeing where that takes us.”
A brief mistake from the Spanish – dropping momentarily off the foils midway through the race – proved costly, forcing Diego Botín’s crew into an aggressive split-course gamble in the closing stages. But there would be no stopping the Flying Roos, who crossed the finish line comfortably ahead to cement their status as the Rolex SailGP Champions most dominant force, expanding their overall lead to 10 points.
Bermuda once again highlighted the growing rivalry between the Bonds Flying Roos and reigning Season 4 champions Spain, who finished second in Bermuda, moving into third overall. Across two days of racing, the two teams consistently separated themselves from the fleet through superior boat handling, cleaner tactical execution and relentless consistency in unstable conditions.
Photo: Jason Ludlow for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
Los Gallos entered Championship Sunday level on points with Australia after an explosive opening day, and immediately reasserted themselves in race five with one of the cleanest performances of the entire weekend. Botín’s crew led from start to finish to secure the Spaniard’s 20th SailGP race victory, mastering the lighter breeze while much of the fleet struggled to stay consistent across the patchy Great Sound course.
Diego Botín said, “I think the team is in a really good place right now. We couldn’t have imagined starting the season the way we have, and while it obviously hurts not to have converted any of the four finals we’ve made so far, the overall feeling within the team is very positive. We’re sailing well, we’re consistently putting ourselves in contention, and I’m confident the wins will come.”
Looking ahead, Botín continued: “We just need to keep growing and keep pushing ourselves to improve in every area. That’s what keeps this team motivated – setting new goals and continuing to evolve. Now our focus shifts straight to New York.”
But the Australians responded immediately in race six. A near-perfect start allowed the Bonds Flying Roos to seize control from mark one and book their place in the Final with a fleet race still remaining. Behind them, the race delivered another dramatic reshuffle as NorthStar collapsed from podium contention to last after a costly maneuvering error, while Explora Swiss capitalized brilliantly to claim second.
Photo: Jason Ludlow for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
Race seven then became a straight shootout for the final place in the winner-takes-all three-boat Final – and Germany by Deutsche Bank rose to the moment. Erik Heil’s crew controlled the fleet despite unstable breeze and briefly dropping off the foils during a critical maneuver. The victory secured Germany’s first Final appearance of the season and capped one of the team’s most consistent SailGP weekends to date.
Heil said, “Conditions today were pretty amazing. Landmark conditions in Bermuda flat water. Enough breeze to foil, enough breeze to stay the boat. It’s really cool – really cool to come back to this place next year. It was great.”
Among the standout stories of the event was DS Automobiles Team France’s resilience after stand-in wing trimmer Glenn Ashby suffered an injury during Saturday racing. Forced into emergency crew changes, the French team remarkably remained competitive throughout Sunday’s racing with substitute athletes onboard, collecting multiple podium finishes despite the disruption.
Elsewhere, the U.S. SailGP Team demonstrated strong underlying pace in front of a sold-out Bermuda crowd, while NorthStar, Explora Swiss and ROCKWOOL Racing all showed flashes of front-running speed during one of the most competitive events of the season so far. Artemis SailGP returned to the starline following an overnight repair by the SailGP Tech Team, finishing fourth, fourth, and 10th in the day’s three qualifying fleet races.
Next up, the Rolex SailGP Championship heads to New York, with momentum firmly on the side of the Bonds Flying Roos as the battle for the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship continues. Find out more at SailGP.com/NewYork.
