Aussies hunt Great Britain as USA double-header kicks off in Los Angeles
by Australia SailGP Team 14 Mar 23:49 PDT
15-16 March 2025
The SailGP fleet led by Australia SailGP Team with ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team, during a practice session ahead of the Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix held in the Port of Los Angeles, California, USA © Simon Bruty for SailGP
Anticipation is at an all-time high as Australia gears up for a fierce battle against 11 rival nations at the Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix marking the first-ever U.S. double-header, which commences on Saturday.
Tom Slingsby and his crew have their sights set on snatching the top spot from Emirates Great Britain on the overall 2025 Season leaderboard after delivering a solid performance in their practice session today.
After a chaotic Sydney event full of incidents, the pressure is on as the flying F50 fleet heads into back-to-back events in LA and San Francisco, with two new teams in tow - Mubadala Brazil and Red Bull Italy.
Situated in the Port of Los Angeles, one of the tightest courses on the calendar, fans can expect fast-paced, high-stakes action as 12 boats go head-to-head for the first time this season. There are just three points separating Great Britain at the top of the leaderboard and Australia in second, with the competition between the two teams set to intensify.
Australia SailGP Team Driver and CEO Tom Slingsby said: "The top team always has a target on their back. Everyone wants to be where they are and we're currently in second place. The Brits are off to a good start but we're also sailing well, and I'm confident that we can overcome them."
With unpredictable weather and a challenging racecourse, SailGP officials adopted a 6-6 split fleet format for practice racing to minimise the risk of F50 damage ahead of this weekend's races. Slingsby added that his crew's core focus for the event will be to start strong and ultimately regain their position on the top of the leaderboard.
"We sailed really well here last year. We won the fleet racing comfortably and reached the final fairly easily but then we had a poor last race. We had a bad start and were never able to catch up, so we need to manage that better. We had the same issue in Sydney so it's on me to make sure the team has learnt from that."
Australia got a taste of the racecourse during practice on Friday, finishing first and fifth in foggy conditions.
Speaking on his crew's performance, Slingsby said: "It was cold and miserable conditions but luckily there was enough wind to get some good practice in. There are a few traps on the racecourse and there's quite a lot of kelp around. I'm happy with how we sailed, we got a win today but we still have a few things to work on so we will reflect on that as a team and get ready for tomorrow."
One unexpected factor in LA's waters is the infamous Californian kelp, which has caused problems for teams in the past. The Australians went viral last season for their creative solution - a custom-made "weed stick" designed to remove debris from the Flying Roo's foils mid-race.
"We call it our weed stick. Basically, it's a boat hook with a bit of padding on the end to protect the foils if we do hit weeds. That comes out once a year here in LA. If we have to use it again, we will," Slingsby said.
With $800,000 USD in prize money up for grabs, the stakes are higher than ever for all teams as they go head-to-head this weekend.
Racing commences on Sunday 16 March for Australians from 8:00am to 9:30am AEDT. Fans can catch all the high-speed action live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.