Aussies fight back on opening day of France SailGP
by BONDS Flying Roos 13 Sep 08:35 AEST
12-13 September 2025
Valteri Bottas, Finish Formula 1 driver and Tiffany Cromwell, Australian Cyclist undergo their safety training in the technical area ahead of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix held in Saint Tropez, France © Felix Diemer for SailGP
Ten-time Formula One Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas and Australian Olympian Tiffany Cromwell made their SailGP debut which saw Bottas shatter the league's 'Sixth Sailor' speed record, hitting 96km/h on board the Denmark F50 ahead of official racing.
Bottas - who will line up with Cadillac in 2026 - still holds the record for the most career points without an F1 World Drivers' Championship (1,797).
The pair also got an exclusive look inside SailGP's cutting-edge operation as they joined the BONDS Flying Roos for a behind-the-scenes tour on the opening day of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix.
The action returned to the water with the Aussies getting off to a perfect start to claim 1st place in the opening fleet race in Saint-Tropez. Shifty conditions and a tight racecourse wreaked havoc across the fleet as the 12 national teams battled on the Mediterranean Sea, in what Tom Slingsby described as an "up-and-down day".
BONDS Flying Roos Driver, CEO & Co-Owner Tom Slingsby said, "After the first race, I thought we were on for a good day but we had some problems and didn't sail to the best of our abilities. It was tough. The wind was really up and down. We would have 25-knot gusts and then could have five knots. It was really challenging.
A penalty for crossing the start line early in Race Four forced the Aussies to stage a gutsy comeback that lifted the Australians from ninth position to finish fourth. Drama struck again late in the same fleet race when Australia picked up another penalty, which left the crew's Podium Final hopes hanging in the balance.
"We had no data or wind screens in that last start so we were relying on our coach to relay how much time to the start line and we thought we were going to be clear, but unfortunately, we broke the start by zero point four of a second. We got back into the race which was nice, and managed a solid finish," Slingsby added.
The Australians ended the day in fifth place on 19 points, posting race finishes of 1st-10th-10th-4th. Despite the mixed results, the BONDS Flying Roos remain in striking distance of the Podium Final tomorrow.
"Tomorrow is another day. If we go out there and have three good races, we know we'll do well. We just need to focus on ourselves, nobody else, and the points will be what the points will be," Slingsby said.
Italy, with the help of former Australia Team Flight Controller Kyle Langford, secured their first-ever fleet race win in SailGP.