The BONDS Flying Roos have claimed an early edge in Valencia, topping Group A after a tricky opening day of racing as the battle for a place in the Abu Dhabi SailGP Grand Final heats up. Tom Slingsby’s crew finished the day with a 2-1-4 scorecard, sitting one point clear of Red Bull Italy heading into Super Sunday tomorrow.
The Australians arrived in Valencia as Rolex SailGP Championship leaders following their fifth event victory of the season in Sassnitz a fortnight ago, sitting on 76 points and holding a 14-point advantage over home team Los Gallos on 62 points.
The Spaniards lead Group B following day one on 14 points, just two points clear of ROCKWOOL Racing in second. With a short racecourse and a tightly packed start box close to shore, strong starts proved crucial for all 13 teams in the light conditions.
Tom Slingsby, BONDS Flying Roos Driver, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, noting the difficulty of the conditions. He remarked, “Even in the race where we were back a bit, we were looking around us and it was Artemis and New Zealand. It’s hard to get past these guys. They’re just so good.”
The unpredictable foiling conditions added another layer of difficulty, with crews forced to react to constantly changing wind pressure while battling the Spanish heat. Tash Bryant, BONDS Flying Roos Strategist, mentioned the stress involved in these conditions, stating, “It’s quite stressful in these conditions. Although everything happens quite slowly compared to normal, it’s really hard to predict what’s happening next.”
The Australians had an action-packed start to SailGP’s Valencia debut, with co-owners Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds engaging in a high-speed ‘sixth sailor’ showdown ahead of racing. The rivalry culminated in Reynolds claiming bragging rights after a neck-and-neck battle.
The Aussies will continue to fight for a place in the Spain Sail Grand Prix Final tomorrow, with each group completing two further fleet races before the top two teams from each group advance to the winner-takes-all Final. Racing begins at 9:30 PM AEST / 7:30 PM AWST on Sunday, 6 September, live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
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