The BONDS Flying Roos claimed their third consecutive Rolex SailGP Championship event victory this weekend, winning the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix ahead of Emirates GBR and NorthStar SailGP Team Canada.
The Australian team, led by driver Tom Slingsby, followed victories in Rio de Janeiro and Bermuda with another win in New York, extending its lead in the overall championship standings. The Flying Roos now hold an 11-point advantage over Emirates GBR in second place.
“Three wins in a row? Pretty wild, to be honest,” Slingsby said after the race. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. But the team is in an absolutely awesome place. We all love what we do and love sailing together.”
New York’s racing conditions differed significantly from the opening day of competition. While only four teams were able to race on Saturday, Sunday’s lighter winds of 15 to 30 km/h provided ideal foiling conditions for the F50 catamarans equipped with 27.5-meter wingsails.
Following a decision not to award points for the limited racing on day one, all teams entered Championship Sunday on equal footing, creating a winner-takes-all battle for a place in the final.
“It was a tough day out on the water, very patchy and tricky conditions,” Slingsby said. “You had to trust what you could see rather than rely too heavily on the software.”
Thousands of spectators watched the racing from Governors Island and official spectator vessels as SailGP returned to New York Harbor.
The Rolex SailGP Championship continues June 20–21 with the Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax.
Photo: Mike Lawrence for SailGP
