REPORT: U.S. SailGP Team Sits P3 At Halfway In Bermuda
Another strong showing from Taylor Canfield and the U.S. SailGP Team in Bermuda
Published 05/9/2026
The U.S. SailGP Team are in P3 overnight after a strong first day of the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix but, once again, the BONDS Flying Roos dominated.
Tom Slingsby’s crew came into event No.5 of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship off the back of that stunning Sunday in Rio and were in no mood to mess around in Bermuda, going 8-1-2-1 to take top spot overnight. Sandwiched between the Aussies and the U.S. SailGP Team (1-5-7-3) are Season 4 Champions Los Gallos (4-3-1-4).Â
In breezy, flat conditions, the fleet went six up, utilizing the 24 meter all-purpose wing, medium jib and high-speed T-foils. There were only 11 boats on the start line, however, with Artemis Racing retiring following the warm-up due to technical issues.
The U.S. SailGP Team made the perfect start to the weekend, hitting the top of the line at speed to pull away in the reach to Mark 1. ROCKWOOL Racing and NorthStar Canada weren’t far behind, but Canfield’s crew had the hull shot at M1.
The U.S. SailGP Team pulls away from the fleet at Mark 1 on Day 1 in Bermuda
From there, the U.S. SailGP Team built on its lead, holding off the challenge of Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank, and the Canadians. The BONDS Flying Roos tried something different by going right at Gate 4 when the Crew went left – but it mattered not.
Canfield and co. stayed calm and consistent, making their final maneuver before crossing the line in P1 to pick up 10 big points, followed home by Canada and Germany.
Race 2 was plagued by technical issues with the fleet cut further. Already down to 11 due to Sweden’s retirement prior to racing, DS Automobiles France were unable to finish following an injury to wing trimmer Glenn Ashby, while ROCKWOOL Racing struggled to get a board down at one stage.
BONDS Flying Roos had no such issues though and, after another flying start from the U.S. SailGP Team, Slingsby’s crew came out of M1 in the lead and never looked back.Â
At Gate 3, ROCKWOOL took over from the U.S. SailGP Team in P3 and later turned that into a 2nd-place finish despite technical issues, with a rejuvenated NorthStar close behind in P3. The Crew took P5 while Red Bull Italy were forced to withdraw due to their own problems.
There was chaos at the start line in Race 3 with Italy too early at the line. Phil Robertson took evasive action, in doing so almost colliding with Canada. Both teams - and Germany - were on-course side (OCS) and hit with penalties as a result.
The Aussies pulled away at M1 at almost 100 km/hr but soon found themselves locked in an intense battle with Los Gallos. Winners of the Season 4 Bermuda Sail Grand Prix, Spain called on that experience to hold off the Roos and take their first fleet race win of the day.
ROCKWOOL became the latest team to pull out with technical issues, leaving just nine teams on the water as the U.S. SailGP Team took P7.
There was a welcome return ahead of the day’s final fleet race, with DS Team France rejoining the fleet after wing trimmer Ashby, already subbed in for the injured Leigh McMillan, being replaced by Tom Needham at short notice.
The U.S. SailGP Team went 1-5-7-3 on Day 1 in Bermuda
A blanket start in Race 4 gave an idea of the drama to follow as five teams approached M1. However, it was the Flying Roos who lived up to their moniker once more, exceeding 95 km/hr to lead with Italy and the U.S. SailGP Team just behind.
Emirates GBR, who had been unable to shake the disappointment of Rio, split the course at Gate 5, turning right as the rest of the fleet went left. They were immediately hit with a boundary penalty, allowing Canfield’s crew to climb into P3.
Spain, meanwhile, continued their climb from the back of the pack, overtaking the Brits to eventually sneak into P4. But it was the Roos who were victorious once again, followed home by Italy and the U.S. SailGP Team.
Racing resumes at 2pm local time on Sunday, May 10, with three teams poised to make the winner-takes-all Final. As it stands, they are Australia, Spain and the U.S. SailGP Team.
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