The BONDS Flying Roos delivered a powerful opening day performance on Sydney Harbour, with Olympic gold medallist Iain ‘Goobs’ Jensen making an impressive debut for the Australians at the record-seventh KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix.
In their first official races together, despite three decades of friendship, BONDS Flying Roos Driver and CEO Tom Slingsby and Wing Trimmer Jensen quickly found rhythm, with Australia claiming two race wins from four fleet races. Competing in front of a packed home crowd, the Australians delivered a strong performance in shifty conditions, recording finishes of 1st, 8th, 6th and 1st to close the day second on the leaderboard, behind Spain, heading into Super Sunday.
Slingsby noted the challenges of the day, stating, “It was really tough out there. I’ve grown up racing on Sydney Harbour and I’ve sailed in those sorts of conditions a couple of times, but it was challenging. The toughest part was trying not to get dragged into a battle with another boat. We ended up next to the British a lot and then we got locked in with the Germans. It’s about trying to stay in your own space and sail your own race, which is actually harder than it looks.”
After stepping into the line-up following injury, Jensen slotted seamlessly into the Australian crew, contributing to confident manoeuvres and trademark consistency around one of SailGP’s most technical racecourses. Slingsby expressed the joy of racing together, saying, “It was great to give Goobs a proper homecoming and win his first race back in the green and gold. I’ve been wanting to sail with Goobs for so long, and to finally race together is amazing.”
The Sydney event marks a memorable first outing for Jensen with the BONDS Flying Roos after missing the earlier events of the season due to injury. Australia now heads into day two firmly in contention for a place in the three-boat Final, looking to convert strong form into another Sydney podium finish.
Looking ahead, Slingsby added, “The 27-metre wing will go in and that means lighter conditions are expected. The forecast I saw was more north-easterly, so if it’s a bit warmer with more sun and fewer clouds, we might get a decent breeze.” Racing resumes tomorrow on Sydney Harbour, where the top three ranked teams will advance to the winner-takes-all Podium Final.
Don’t miss the Super Sunday finale on 1 March, with last remaining tickets available at SailGP.com/Sydney. Australian fans can tune in live on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and SBS from 5:30-7:00pm AEDT.
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