06/21/2026
by James Pacheco
There was a change in format to the day’s racing on Saturday at the Canada Sail Grand Prix, but there was a familiar name winning in the two races they took part in, and that same team is the favorite to win the event heading into Sunday’s action.
Here’s a recap of what happened on Saturday and a look ahead to what might be in store for us on Sunday.
Bonds Flying Roos Dominate Proceedings in Group A
We’ll never know who won Race 1 at the Canada Sail Grand Prix because there wasn’t one, as such.
The fleet was split in two, and so all bets were off, or void to be precise, regarding any wagers that had been placed on the winners of the event’s opening race.
For what it’s worth, the first race contested by those in Group A was won by the Bonds Flying Roos SailGP Team, which would have been their fourth Race 1 win of the season had it been run with the whole fleet, but it was chalked off anyway, as the winners didn’t finish the race within the allotted time.
So there were no ten points for Tom Slingsby on the first attempt, but there were in the two Group A races that did count, after more racing masterclasses from the Australian handed his team back-to-back wins and an 100% record on the day.
The Black Foils SailGP Team marked their return to the Rolex SailGP Championship after a long absence with a third-place finish in the first race, followed by a runner-up spot in the second and final race of the day for them to end Saturday in second spot in Group A. Los Gallos SailGP Team were their usual consistent selves with a runner-up spot and a fourth-place.
So it’s the Australians currently leading Group A on ten points, with the Kiwis on seven and Los Gallos on six. The top two from each group will contest Sunday’s Final, so for a change, we’ll be looking at a four-boat final, rather than the usual three.
Outsiders In Business in Group B
Over in Group B, it was the Explora Journey Swiss SailGP Team who took the first race before securing more important points with a third-placed finish in the second race. The Artemis SailGP Team went one better with a win in the second race, preceded by a runner-up spot in the first. Both were available at big pre-event big prices to win the event here in Halifax, with the Swiss as big as 20.0, but they’ll each have their chances to do so.
Dylan Fletcher won’t have been pleased with the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team’s last place in the first race, but at least they bounced back in the next and final one, with a second place of their own to keep them in the hunt.
Australians Still Favorites To Make It Four Event Wins In a Row
So all to play for on Sunday, but a change in format isn’t proving to bring with it a change of fortunes as regards who might go on to win this event. At least if the odds are anything to go by.
Not for the first time this season, it’s the Australians who head the betting at odds of 3.7, closely followed by the Black Foils at 4.35. Looking at the other teams placed in Group A, Los Gallos are 16.67, but they’ll have to overcome one of those two to even make the final. Yet another member of Group A, DS Automobile SailGP Team France, is 28.57.
Over in Group B, Saturday fleet race winners Artemis and the Swiss are 4.88 and 5.71 respectively, while Fletcher, with plenty still to do to finish in the group’s top two, is a 10.53 shot to lead his team to glory on Sunday.