Slingsby: ‘BONDS Flying Roos have evolved beyond heavy-air tag’

Tom Slingsby believes the BONDS Flying Roos have finally shaken their reputation as heavy-wind specialists - warning the rest of the Rolex SailGP Championship fleet that his team can now win in any conditions.

Fresh from victory at the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix, the Australians extended their Championship lead to ten points after another statement weekend on the Great Sound.

But for Slingsby, the biggest takeaway wasn’t just the result - it was how his team achieved it.

For years the BONDS Flying Roos were viewed as a team built for big breeze and full-foiling conditions. When races became tactical, light and patchy, cracks could appear. Not anymore, says Slingsby.

“It definitely feels like our wheelhouse is widening,” he said. “Historically, we were seen as a heavy-air or foiling team, and when it became non-foiling conditions we did struggle at times.

“But right now, wherever the game takes us, I feel like we’ll be strong.”

That growing versatility was on full display in Bermuda. Across a weekend which delivered everything from powered-up racing to knife-edge tactical battles, the BONDS Flying Roos adapted quicker than anyone else. Their starts were sharp, maneuvers clean and decision making calm under pressure.

For Slingsby, that evolution has been building for some time - even if the results haven’t always reflected it.

“We’re going amazingly as a team right now,” he said. “It’s nice when the feeling inside the group actually translates into results because even in Sydney, where we didn’t have a good event, I still felt like we were really strong. We just weren’t able to convert it.”

Slingsby said a key factor in the team’s transformation has been the arrival of wing trimmer Iain ‘Goobs’ Jensen, whose influence he believes has helped elevate the Australians across the board.

“We knew he’d be important for us, but he’s gelled into the team so well and we feel strong across every aspect of our sailing,” he said.

The Aussies’ improvement off the start line has also become one of the defining stories of their season turnaround. After criticism of his starts last year, Slingsby says relentless work has helped turn a former weakness into a weapon.

“There’s not a day that goes by where I’m not trying to improve my starts,” he said. “It’s a constant evolution.”

With three wins from the opening five events and confidence surging through the squad, the message from the BONDS Flying Roos is becoming increasingly clear.