Aussies take Spanish boat for a spin, all eyes on Grand Final
by BONDS Flying Roos 3 Oct 13:27 PDT
4-5 October 2025
BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team helmed by Tom Slingsby practice on board the Spain SailGP Team F50 catamaran during a training session ahead of the DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix © Felix Diemer for SailGP
With the $3M winner-takes-all Grand Final just weeks away, the BONDS Flying Roos have sent a clear warning to their rivals in Cadiz as they mastered a tricky light-air practice session from onboard the Spanish F50.
The Australians head into the DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix this weekend clinging to the top of the season leaderboard by a single point over New Zealand, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown in the penultimate event before the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi (28-29 November).
Eleven teams hit the start line for practice racing with Spain selected to trial the league's new 27.5 meter windsail during the session instead. Designed to sit between the 24-meter all-purpose windsail and 29-meter light air, the new configuration was commissioned on the Australia SailGP Team's platform, while the BONDS Flying Roos got in their practice laps on Spain's F50.
BONDS Flying Roos Driver, CEO and Co-owner Tom Slingsby said, "We'd love to be sailing our boat but we got lucky in Geneva being the team that got to test the light-air foils first. This time SailGP said it's Spain who are testing the 27.5 meter wing so unfortunately we're not in our boat today but we'll be back in it tomorrow for official racing."
The beauty of being a one-design fleet meant Slingsby's crew was able to seamlessly step onboard the Los Gallos F50 and prove they have finally shaken the light-wind monkey off their backs.
"Historically, we always wanted big wind and big waves and were a bit scared when it went light. That wasn't our strong suit but now we're comfortable in everything and to be more comfortable in the light airs than heavy airs is the goal of this year. We're definitely on track with that," Slingsby said.
With seven winners in 10 events and only three points separating the top three teams, the fight to the Grand Final is wide open, and if the Australians convert practice form into points, they will tighten their grip on a potential fourth Championship title.
Slingsby added, "The race to the final is heating up with four teams vying for three positions and we just want to be one of those teams that make it in but that all depends on having a good event here. If we post a really good result in Cadiz then we'll be hard to beat going into Abu Dhabi."
Official racing kicks off tomorrow, 4 October, to a sold out crowd, with Australian fans able to catch all the action live from 11:30pm AEST on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.