Taylor: We Made Big Gains In Perth – But There’s Work To Be Done
Driver Taylor Canfield writes directly to U.S. SailGP Team fans following the Perth Sail Grand Prix
Published 02/2/2026
Looking back on Perth while sitting at home in two feet of snow, I think we have to look at the weekend as a whole as a huge gain.
Our ability to sail the boat in the breeze, having that training and lead-up to racing in Fremantle and Perth with similar conditions, really helped. Every day was about refining our skills and gaining confidence in those conditions.
We worked really hard in training throughout the week. The practice day felt really good, getting a P3 and a P1, and that gave us confidence going into Race Day 1 on Saturday. We went out and smashed it and had a great day.
Taking a step back and looking at Sunday, you realize you’ve still got some work to do. We recognize that we have the ability to have good days, but we need to continue to push, make the boat a little bit easier to sail, and keep increasing our consistency in those conditions.
Starting Strategy
I just finished watching a lot of our starting video before. Simply put, we didn’t catch on quickly enough that the software we were getting on board was always slightly optimistic compared to what the boat was actually doing. We were going slightly slower than the numbers suggested.
So when we thought we were on time, we were already late. We’re going to go back and look at that and make sure we put together a better plan before racing so we can recognize when that’s happening and make the necessary adjustments going into the first race of the day. That way, we’re not on our back foot all day off the line.
Saturday’s starts weren’t anything spectacular, but good enough to put us in races and into positions where we could put together good results. That really is the name of the game.
We can refine them a little and take that next step to push the lead out at Mark 1, but what was really encouraging was that we were in the mix and able to convert and pass boats from there.
Credit goes to the team for sailing the boat well around the racetrack, executing maneuvers, and executing our mode changes on Saturday. That’s what allowed us to climb the leaderboard in a couple of races.
Marginal Gains
Overall, the conditions were tough and everyone recognized that. We did a nice job taking the next step and focusing on what’s next when something went wrong, which it did for us and for a lot of teams. We reset well and made the next good move.
A big part of that is our on-board communication. That is something we’ve been working a lot on as a team, and myself personally. When things don’t go exactly to plan, it’s about carrying on and figuring out how to make the next step.
There were moments this week, as we saw with a lot of teams, where the comms got elevated, and that makes the next step harder. Everyone feels that energy, and it takes more time to refocus and make the next good move. The calmer we can keep it, the better we can execute the next maneuver.
Award Finalist
Finally, I wanted to touch on being named as a finalist for the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award – what an honor.
To be listed and recognized for that award is incredible. It’s something I dreamed of as a kid. To be among some other incredible U.S. sailors and to do it across multiple types of boats throughout the year is really cool.
Our own Hans was one of last year’s winners after taking bronze at the Olympic Games in Paris, Harry won in 2021, while Andrew and Anna have also been nominees – that is the caliber of sailor in contention.
READ MORE: TAYLOR NOMINATED FOR YACHTSMAN OF THE YEAR
I sailed with some great teams throughout the year who made it easier for me to get to the podium and achieve good results. While my name’s on the list, it goes without saying that I had an incredible group of people and teams around me in 2025 who allowed me to have those results.
Huge credit goes to all the programs I was part of. I wish all the finalists in the men’s and women’s categories the very best of luck.
Let’s hope for continued success on the water, starting in Auckland later this month. We can’t wait to get back out there and build on what we showed in Perth.
Talk soon,
Taylor
Claim your own U.S. SailGP Team Crew Card
Join the Crew
Support
Contact
Powered By
© FanCapital LLC