5 Things You Missed At The Sydney Sail Grand Prix
Catch up on everything that happened throughout the weekend Down Under
Published 03/3/2026
The 2026 KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix provided a third different event winner in as many events this season, with the U.S. SailGP Team triumphing in the Harbour City.
Taylor Canfield and co. joined Emirates GBR and the BONDS Flying Roos by securing the win in light-air conditions on Sunday, in doing so moving into 3rd place in the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship standings.
Here’s everything you might have missed across a memorable weekend.
1. First win for All-American Crew
While this wasn’t the U.S. SailGP Team’s first event win, it is the first time this team has won under the ownership of Avenue Capital Group’s Marc Lasry, Ryan and Maggie McKillen and Mike Buckley, since their November 2023 acquisition.Â
That means it is also the first time an All-American team has won a SailGP event, with international athletes having previously served on the U.S. SailGP Team’s roster prior to the takeover.
It’s also a first victory as driver for Taylor Canfield. However, Taylor has won with the U.S. SailGP Team before, when racing as a substitute for the injured Hans Henken in Cádiz in October 2024.
2. DS Automobiles France expected to return in Rio
One piece of good news that came out of the week in Sydney is the impending return of Quentin Delapierre’s DS Automobiles France team.
Ruled out of this event following their dramatic collision with New Zealand Black Foils in Auckland, Les Bleus will return in Brazil next month for South America’s first event.
The French F50 has been repaired with the aid of parts from the salvaged Black Foils boat as well as spare parts from SailGP Technologies. A timescale for the Kiwis’ return has not yet been determined.
3. A familiar face back in the fleet
Jeremy Wilmot returned to SailGP for the Sydney Sail Grand Prix with Mubadala Brazil
Eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed a former member of the Crew lining up for Mubadala Brazil over the weekend: wing trimmer Jeremy Wilmot.
Jeremy linked up with Martine Grael’s crew at short notice as the Brazilians were without regular trimmer Pietro Sibello due to personal reasons.
Strategist Paul Goodison was also unavailable, meaning reserve athlete Richard Mason stepped onto the boat. Brazil caught the eye despite those changes, finishing P7 across the weekend.
4. Emirates GBR on the podium again
They are reigning Champions – and it’s not hard to see why Emirates GBR are among the contenders once more this season.
A second-place finish means Dylan Fletcher’s team have not been off the podium in three events this year. Winners of the season’s curtain raiser in Perth, the Brits were 2nd in Auckland and repeated the trick here.
The race to Mark One in Sunday's Final of the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix between the U.S. SailGP Team and Emirates GBR
It looked as though Fletcher’s crew might take control at Mark One in Sunday’s Final but, a split second after getting their F50 up and foiling, Hans got the U.S. SailGP Team’s F50 out the water and into the lead out of the mark.
5. Aussies miss Final on home waters
The hosts made the perfect start in Sydney, winning Race 1 to lay down a marker. Tom Slingsby knows the Harbour as well as anybody and the BONDS Flying Roos are three-time winners of this event, having been to all five previous finals.
But thereafter the Roos struggled to find consistency and ended the day in P5, missing out on a Final spot in the Emerald City for the first time in SailGP history.
In better news, wing trimmer Iain ‘Goobs’ Jensen made his long-awaited debut after signing from Emirates GBR in the off-season.Â
A knee injury suffered in practice ahead of Auckland delayed his debut, with veteran Glenn Ashby, 48, stepping in impressively for the last two events.
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