Spain shatters Bonds Flying Roos' historic bid in Halifax
by BONDS Flying Roos 21 Jun 16:24 PDT
20-21 June 2026
BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team driven by Tom Slingsby races alongside NORTHSTAR SailGP Team driven by Giles Scott on Race Day 2 of the Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax, Canada © Ricardo Pinto for SailGP
The BONDS Flying Roos' historic hunt for a fourth consecutive event victory has fallen just short on Halifax Harbour as Spain's Los Gallos clinched a hard-fought triumph in SailGP's first-ever four-boat Podium Final.
Tom Slingsby's Australian crew arrived at Super Sunday on the cusp of shattering SailGP records but a combination of changeable breeze and a fierce Spanish outfit ultimately denied the overall championship leaders their elusive "four-peat."
The day's racing played out in front of more than 12,000 fans, with 27 km/h winds sparking a series of close calls and intense dogfights across the Canadian racecourse.
Needing a fourth-place finish or better in the final qualifying race, the Aussies delivered a tactical masterclass. Slingsby nailed a perfect start before breaking away to win by a comfortable margin, securing their spot in the winner-takes-all Final alongside Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Yet after dominating the weekend's qualifying races with three first-place finishes and a third, the BONDS Flying Roos were sensationally shut out of the podium altogether, forced to watch from fourth as Los Gallos snatched the glory ahead of runners-up Artemis and the Explora Journeys Swiss SailGP Team in third.
Before racing even started, drama unfolded during the warm-up when Emirates Great Britain was involved in an incident that damaged its wing, ruling the defending champions out of Sunday's competition. Mubadala Brazil also suffered damage, with the umpires handing down a four-point penalty after the team crashed into a gate mark.
Tom Slingsby, BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team driver and CEO said: "We don't feel great. That's the first-ever four-boat final and one boat has to miss out on the podium and that's us. We saved our worst race for last unfortunately. We sailed really well all weekend then we had a shocker at the end but that's the way it goes sometimes."
Despite missing out on the Halifax trophy, the BONDS Flying Roos maintain a commanding lead at the top of the 2026 leaderboard on 62 points, with Spain's Los Gallos and Emirates GBR sitting tied for second on 44 points.
"If we knew we were going to have this kind of lead over second place halfway through the season, we would be taking it with both hands. It's just the way I'm built - I'm upset with today and I want to do better. I know the season points are good, everyone keeps trying to tell me that it's all good but I want to win every event."
The BONDS Flying Roos will look to bounce back before they head to Portsmouth for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix on 25-26 July, 2026.