KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix Report

Day 1 (28/02/2026) – Spain Seize Day One Lead at KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix

Spain were the form team on day one in Sydney, sailing into the sunset with two wins in four fleet races. Those unafraid to make bold, decisive moves were rewarded around the split Shark Island racetrack – as experienced crews made the most of lucky shifts to pick their way through the 11-boat fleet.

Los Gallos lead the fleet with 32 points on the event leaderboard, followed by the BONDS Flying Roos with 28 points. The Artemis SailGP Team round out the podium group in third with 26 points – while Emirates GBR and Red Bull Italy remain in the hunt for tomorrow’s Final, tied on points (23) in fourth and fifth, respectively.

The home crowd had plenty to cheer about as the BONDS Flying Roos opened racing in Sydney with a commanding win. Hunting down ROCKWOOL Racing on the first upwind leg to edge past the Danes as the two teams traded tacks in tight formation. Emirates Great Britain held steady in third while the fleet navigated shifty, patchy conditions that pushed speeds close to 60 km/h and made staying on the foils critical.

Tash Bryant, BONDS Flying Roos strategist said, “Today was pretty crazy and really unpredictable. Consistency was key. We had a couple of tough races in the middle, but we managed to scrape through the fleet a little bit, and going into tomorrow in contention is all we can really ask for.”

Photo: Felix Diemer for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

Spain’s Los Gallos delivered a clinical performance to take victory in race 2, capitalising on a decisive tactical move late in the race. Switzerland had earlier seized control after a perfectly timed start, leading the fleet through the opening stages while Los Gallos and Mubadala Brazil gave chase. The race turned at Gate 3 when Diego Botin’s Spanish crew opted for the right-hand turn, a move that allowed them to sweep past Switzerland and take the lead.

Diego Botín, Los Gallos driver said, “It’s very tough because you really need to sail the wind you have at that moment, while also trying to predict what’s coming next. Here in Sydney, it’s a course with a lot of land features, and you can tell the teams that have sailed here a lot are reading them very well. We’re trying to catch up on that, and I think we did a good job today.”

Race 3 began in slowly-unfolding chaos – with Germany, Australia and Denmark penalised for being over the line, as the U.S. crossed in front of Switzerland, delaying both teams in getting away. That opened the door for Spain’s Los Gallos, Artemis Racing and NorthStar Canada to surge ahead early in clean air, with Spain leading the fleet to their second race win of the day.

Photo: Brett Phibbs for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

Following a penalty review hearing, the umpires imposed a two-point penalty on the U.S. SailGP Team for breaching rule 14 – three points for contact, mitigated by one point. A penalty points review requested by the Americans will be conducted overnight.

Taylor Canfield, U.S. SailGP Team driver said, “It was a really tricky situation — we got into a spot we couldn’t get out of. We did everything we could to avoid the start mark and the Swiss, but unfortunately there just wasn’t quite enough room. The Italians kind of created the incident and forced us to the other side of the start line. It’s a bummer, but we’ll prepare and be back out there tomorrow.”

In the fourth and final fleet race, the BONDS Flying Roos fought back through the fleet to claim their second win of the day in front of the home crowd. The Aussies were buoyed by the return of Iain ‘Goobs’ Jensen, returning from knee injury to make his home debut on Sydney Harbour.

Tom Slingsby, BONDS Flying Roos driver said, “It was great to give Goobs [Iain Jensen] a proper homecoming and get out there and win his first race back in the green and gold. For me, it’s just awesome. I’ve been wanting to sail with Goobs for so long — we’ve been great mates for more than 30 years — and to finally race together is amazing.”

He continued, “As most know, he’s the godfather to my son, and we’ve been talking about sailing together for 20 years. We finally did it, and to win the first race back — and the last race today — is pretty special. We’re stoked.”

Thousands of fans came along to watch the action on Shark Island, with thousands more watching from the official spectator fleet and on-water hospitality. The ‘birthplace of SailGP,’ Sydney is the most established destination on the Rolex SailGP Championship calendar – having hosted the event a record seven times.

Eleven national teams competed, with New Zealand’s ‘Black Foils’ and DS Automobiles Team France ruled out following significant damage in Auckland earlier this month.

Day 2 (01/03/2026) – Canfield Leads U.S. SailGP Team to Historic Win in Sydney

The U.S. SailGP Team has won the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix, sailing to victory ahead of Emirates GBR in second and Los Gallos in third. It marks the team’s first event win since Cádiz in Season 4, and Canfield’s first ever in SailGP – a moment he called, “an incredible feeling.”

Photo: Brett Phibbs for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

The Americans were the form team on a light, tricky Championship Sunday, with consistent performances (3, 1, 6) in the final qualifying fleet races of the weekend. As crews struggled in the disturbed air – with foiling conditions limited at the very bottom of the wind range – the Americans managed, for the most part, to stay out of the pack.

“It was a tricky racetrack but we came into today with a really good plan,” said Canfield. “We knew we had to keep the pedal down, stay in clean air, stay out of the pack. Our starting has always been pretty good in the lighter conditions, and we got off the line well, kept our heads out of the boat and did a nice job.”

The victory signals a major step forward for the Americans, who have made notable improvements in recent events. “We’ve been putting in the effort,” said Canfield. Continuing, “We said we were going to stick to our processes and that showed. We’re getting better all the time and to get a win is huge.”

Photo: Jason Ludlow for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

Emirates GBR won the start of the Final race, initially controlling the early stages before Canfield’s crew seized the lead mid-race with a decisive move into the gate and never looked back – gaining a commanding lead on the final legs and keeping clear air to the finish. Emirates GBR crossed the line in second, while Spain’s Los Gallos, the most consistent team across the event, completed the podium in third.

Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team strategist Hannah Mills said, “It was just so hard today, in particular just with that really down range – not foiling at all in the first couple of races and then a little bit of foiling in the final – it feels like surviving a day like that and we somehow did and got into the Final and we landed second.”

The defending Rolex SailGP Champions have now moved into the top spot on the overall standings (28 points), while Australia sit second with 25 points. The U.S. SailGP Team have entered the podium group, now third overall with 20 points.

The final qualifying fleet races of the weekend were a game of shoots and ladders for the championship’s international teams – with many glad to leave Sydney behind them. That includes Northstar SailGP Team, who finished last among the teams competing on Sydney Harbour.

Driver Giles Scott said, “I’m definitely looking forward to getting home and putting Sydney behind us, that’s for sure. A few sayings probably come to mind – when it rains, it pours – and that’s how it felt this weekend. We didn’t really get anything right. We were fighting potential contact today and getting locked up at marks. No breaks, just a tough weekend so we’re looking forward to resetting.”

For the BONDS Flying Roos, Sydney was a remarkable event for all the wrong reasons – the first time the three-time Rolex SailGP Champions have missed out on an event final at home.

BONDS Flying Roos driver Tom Slingsby said, “It’s frustrating. We were in a good position even going into the last race. We were still inside the top three but we had a shocking final 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. We need to go back and review – I need to look closely at what I did wrong because I made a lot of mistakes today.”

Other teams however, showed signs of improvement, including Mubadala Brazil who finished the weekend seventh overall, with consistent, mid-fleet results across the weekend – a hopeful sign before the team’s home debut next month.

Martine Grael, Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team driver said, “Coming into this event, there were a lot of things going on in our team with a few changes in the crew. I think it created a lot of union in the team to make this happen, and that union is exactly what we need to race well together. I’m quite happy with the results, actually.”

The KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix completes the first stage of 2026 Season, with a triple header Down Under. Now, the Rolex SailGP Championship looks ahead to its South American debut next month: the Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix, April 11-12, 2026, just meters from the shoreline on Guanabara Bay. Limited tickets remain – find out more at SailGP.com/Rio.

KPMG SYDNEY SAIL GRAND PRIX – EVENT LEADERBOARD

(1) U.S. SailGP Team
(2) Emirates Great Britain
(3) Los Gallos
(4) Red Bull Italy
(5) BONDS Flying Roos
(6) ROCKWOOL Racing
(7) Mubadala Brazil
(8) Germany by Deutsche Bank
(9) Artemis
(10) Switzerland
(11) Northstar
(12) Black Foils
(13) DS Automobiles SailGP Team France

ROLEX SAILGP CHAMPIONSHIP 2026 SEASON LEADERBOARD

(1) Emirates Great Britain // 28 pts
(2) BONDS Flying Roos // 25 pts
(3) U.S. SailGP Team // 20 pts
(4) DS Automobiles SailGP Team France // 20 pts
(5) Los Gallos // 16 pts
(6) Artemis // 15 pts
(7) Red Bull Italy // 11 pts
(8) ROCKWOOL Racing // 11 pts
(9) Germany Deutsche Bank // 10 pts
(10) Northstar // 6 pts
(11) Mubadala Brazil // 5 pts
(12) Black Foils // 2 pts
(13) Switzerland 1 pt