Speed records and a photo finish as BONDS Flying Roos extend their lead over the Black Foils’ best day at Sassnitz

Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos extended their championship lead in erratic Baltic conditions, while New Zealand’s Black Foils reached their first final of the 2026 season before a finish line penalty cost them a podium.

The ROCKWOOL Germany Sail Grand Prix returned to Sassnitz on 22 and 23 August, the ninth stop of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship. Day one produced a new outright SailGP speed record. Day two, sailed in gusting wind and driving rain, ended with the BONDS Flying Roos crossing first in the winner-takes-all final, their fifth Grand Prix win of this season. New Zealand’s Black Foils made their first final appearance since February’s Auckland collision, only to be penalised for failing to keep clear right on the line.

Black Foils top Group A as the BONDS Flying Roos’ near-perfect day slips at the line: Day One at Sassnitz

Day one at Sassnitz was less about outright results and more about setting up each group for Sunday’s final. Even so, it produced a defining moment of its own in Group A’s last race, when DS Automobiles France hit 107.63km/h rounding the first mark, breaking the 103.93km/h mark Denmark had held since setting it at this same course in 2025. Fast as they were at that point, France did not go on to win the race.

The BONDS Flying Roos won the first two Group B races before fouling Emirates GBR in the run to the line in the third race, a moment that also caught the US SailGP Team fouling Artemis Sweden in the same tangled stretch. Both penalised boats lost significant speed, and the BONDS Flying Roos, chasing a clean sweep, finished the race last. Germany, sailing in front of a home crowd, took the win instead, their first of the event, Erik Kosegarten-Heil’s crew timing the shifts perfectly on the run to the line. Artemis finished third in all three Group B races, enough under SailGP’s points system to sit second in the group on 9 points, one clear of NorthStar Canada.

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The Black Foils came out of Day 1 having won the first and second races, and a third in their final fleet race. The result, 12 points from three races, put the Black Foils top of Group A outright. The Auckland collision in February had ruled the Black Foils out of four consecutive events, and their return produced a one point miss of the final at Halifax and a two point miss at Portsmouth.

Storm-lashed Sassnitz sets the Final field as Black Foils lead the fleet into Day Two’s showdown

Conditions deteriorated sharply on day two, with wind gusting to 40km/h and heavy rain cutting visibility for a packed Sassnitz waterfront crowd.

Group B’s carryover points were so tight, just one point separating the top four, that nobody’s place in the final was guaranteed. Germany opened the day’s fleet racing with their second win of the event, NorthStar Canada came second, and Artemis made it three races running in third. The BONDS Flying Roos finished fifth, behind Emirates GBR. That result reshuffled the standings again, with Artemis and NorthStar now level on top with 12 points and the BONDS Flying Roos and Germany tied on 11, meaning any of the four still needed a result in the final fleet race to be sure of their spot, with second place just as valuable as first. NorthStar found their pace when it mattered most to win that race, while Slingsby was not prepared to miss out on the final and took second. Germany could not turn their two wins into a three-peat, slipping to fifth, and Artemis ran into technical trouble and were unable to deliver.

Sassnitz was the first time this season the Black Foils led their group into the second day of racing, and their form carried through Sunday: a win in Group A’s Race 4 (their second victory in four races) and a fourth in Race 5 took them into the final on 19 points, the highest fleet race tally across either group. Behind the Black Foils, DS Automobiles France started the day well, but it was Los Gallos Spain who claimed the last remaining final place, three points back. France’s hopes ended in a nosedive on the fifth leg of their final race.

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The four boats through to the final were Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos, NorthStar Canada, Black Foils (NZ) and Los Gallos Spain.

BONDS Flying Roos win in the rain as a finish-line penalty costs the Black Foils a shot at Sassnitz glory

The BONDS Flying Roos led from the first mark in near-zero visibility rain and built a lead through the race that proved impossible to close down, crossing first to win the event. Behind them, the Black Foils, NorthStar and Los Gallos converged on the finish off their foils, and the Black Foils were penalised for failing to keep clear of Los Gallos. NorthStar drifted through for second, Los Gallos took third, and New Zealand finished fourth.

For the Black Foils, fourth was their best finish of the season, and their first final appearance since the Auckland collision in February.

BONDS Flying Roos stretch championship lead to 14 points as SailGP sets sail for Valencia

The win was the BONDS Flying Roos’ fifth Grand Prix victory of the season, extending their overall championship lead to 14 points over Los Gallos Spain in second. Artemis sits third with 53 points. Reigning champions Emirates GBR finished ninth overall in Sassnitz and are now level on points with the United States, which sits fourth in the championship. Both are 30 points behind the BONDS Flying Roos.

SailGP now heads to Valencia for the Spain Sail Grand Prix, 5 to 7 September.