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