Aussies top leaderboard after opening day in Rio
by BONDS Flying Roos 11 Apr 18:55 PDT
11-12 April 2026
BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team driven by Tom Slingsby in action on Race Day 1 of the ENEL Rio Sail Grand Prix © Jason Ludlow for SailGP
The BONDS Flying Roos SailGP team has closed out the opening day of its historic debut event in Rio de Janeiro in pole position and firmly in the hunt for a Super Sunday podium final.
Set against Rio's iconic mountain backdrop, the opening day of the ENEL Rio Sail Grand Prix delivered a complex and tactical contest, with light and shifting breeze testing even the most experienced crews.
The Australians battled through the course, navigating the unpredictable conditions to secure 2nd, 8th, 3rd and 3rd place finishes across the four fleet races. These results see the Australians sit in first place on the event leaderboard with 10 points, ahead of the USA on 9 points (2nd) and Germany on 8 points (3rd).
BONDS Flying Roos Driver and CEO, Tom Slingsby, said, "I really enjoyed racing today. It was really tough and patchy, like a game of snakes and ladders, but we managed to work our way through the fleet and came away with some decent results."
BONDS Flying Roos Flight Controller, Jason Waterhouse, echoed Slingsby's sentiment, saying, "Super tough conditions today - classic Rio right under the Sugarloaf mountain. It's never going to be easy under there. We had three good races and one average, so we are in good shape for tomorrow. That last race was bittersweet - leading almost the whole way and then losing two spots from that penalty that wouldn't clear, but that is what it is."
For the BONDS Flying Roos, this weekend's Rio Sail Grand Prix is more than just another stop on the calendar - it marks a return to the waters where teammates Jason Waterhouse and Iain Jensen claimed Olympic silver in 2016. Now, with the team in strong contention for the Rio final, those memories are fuelling a renewed push for gold.
The team kick-started their Rio debut this week in hilarious fashion alongside co-owners Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, with the launch of a video in partnership with monday.com. In the spot, Hugh and Ryan bring their signature banter to the high-speed world of SailGP, poking fun at old sailing superstitions and the high-pressure, fast-moving reality of running a top team.
Looking ahead to Finals Day, all eyes will be on whether the Australians can convert their strong start into victory, with conditions expected to remain light and tactically demanding.
"We're hoping for a bit more breeze tomorrow based on the current forecast," added Slingsby. "It's going to be another challenging day, but we're right where we want to be."
The final day of the ENEL Rio Sail Grand Prix will take place from 4:00 AM - 5:30 AM AEST on Monday, 13 April in Australia (3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Sunday, 12 April local time).