BONDS Flying Roos return to the top in Auckland, seize the 2026 season lead, and turn their focus to a Sydney showdown

BONDS Flying Roos leave Auckland on top of the standings having now turned their full focus to a home water showdown

Sam Newton, grinder of BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team, Tom Slingsby, driver of BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team, Jason Waterhouse, flight controller of BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team, Tash Bryant, strategist of BONDS Flying Roos,Glenn Ashby, wing trimmer of BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team, and Kinley Fowler, grinder of BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team, celebrate on the podium with the winner wheel following winning the event on Race Day 2 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland, New Zealand. Sunday 15 February 2026. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 2 2026 Season. Photo: Felix Diemer for SailGP.

Fresh from victory at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, driver Tom Slingsby made it clear where the team’s attention now lies.

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“Perth was amazing, but Sydney is really important to us,” Slingsby said. “If you could choose any event in the world to win, it would be Sydney for us. That’s our focus now.”

Tash Bryant, strategist of BONDS Flying Roos, and Kinley Fowler, grinder of BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team,, celebrate after winging the Final Race, on Race Day 2 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland, New Zealand. Sunday 15 February 2026. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 2 2026 Season. // Photo credit: James Gourley for SailGP.

Slingsby will not have forgotten that last season marked the second time the BONDS Flying Roos failed to win in Sydney. Season 3 saw the French team win in Sydney, and last year, Emirates GBR won there. They also came up short in Perth last month.

Even so, they return home in a far stronger position. Auckland ended a year without a Grand Prix victory and lifted the Roos to the top of the 2026 SailGP standings after two events.

After the 2026 ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, the overall standings table shows the BONDS Flying Roos and Emirates GBR locked together on 19 points each. France, who had looked sharp before their Race 1 collision with the Black Foils in Auckland, sit third, four points behind.

Pos	Team	Driver	Points
1	BONDS Flying Roos	Tom Slingsby	19
2	Emirates GBR	Dylan Fletcher	19
3	DS Team France	Quentin Delapierre	15
4	Artemis	Nathan Outteridge	13
5	U.S. SailGP Team	Taylor Canfield	10
6	Los Gallos	Diego Botin	8
7	Germany by Deutsche Bank	Erik Heil	7
8	ROCKWOOL Racing	Nicolai Sehested	6
9	NorthStar	Giles Scott	6
10	Red Bull Italy	Phil Robertson	4
11	Black Foils	Peter Burling	2
12	Mubadala Brazil	Martine Grael	1
13	Switzerland	Sébastien Schneiter	0

Auckland delivers theatre

The Waitematā Harbour delivered proper City of Sails drama. Gusts climbed beyond 50 km/h on Sunday. For crews control was the main concern. Australia, however, looked settled across the weekend. Stand in wing trimmer Glenn Ashby has made an immediate impact.

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“We wouldn’t be sitting here with a second and a first in the opening two events with anyone else in the world other than Glenn,” Slingsby said.

Los Gallos SailGP Team helmed by Diego Botin ahead of Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Dylan Fletcher and BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team helmed by Tom Slingsby in front of the grandstand on Race Day 2 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland, New Zealand. Sunday 15 February 2026. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 2 2026 Season. Photo: Felix Diemer for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

The final brought together the only three teams in the fleet to have won a SailGP championship: BONDS Flying Roos, Emirates GBR, and Los Gallos.

Reflecting on the final, Slingsby admitted “You basically couldn’t bear away the boat. The start was about staying on our feet and out of trouble.”

The turning point came at the top mark. The BONDS Flying Roos slipped inside with a decisive move that shifted control. From there, sharp calls and steady sailing carried them to the line.

Los Gallos SailGP Team helmed by Diego Botin alongside BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team helmed by Tom Slingsby during the final race on Race Day 2 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland, New Zealand. Sunday 15 February 2026. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 2 2026 Season. Photo: Simon Bruty for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

Elated to have won: “It’s huge. It’s been a year since we last won an event,” Slingsby said. “In those three boat Finals anything can happen.”

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Emirates GBR passed Los Gallos late to secure second overall. Spain, after missing Perth with boat damage, opened their 2026 account.

Now, with Sydney on the horizon, the real question emerges. Have the Roos rediscovered their edge early enough in 2026? After two seasons without lifting the championship, can they hold this form and carry it all the way?