SAN FRANCISCO, USA – 21 March, 2025 – Australia’s Tom Slingsby admits it takes a lot of bravery from a team to sail in San Francisco, with high winds, big waves and cold conditions expected to cause carnage this weekend at the Oracle San Francisco Sail Grand Prix (22-23 March).
From Hollywood to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, teams now shift their focus to the finale of the U.S. double-header on San Francisco Bay, where the stage is set for an epic showdown. The Aussies have already made a statement, winning both practice races today in cold and windy conditions.
With just two points separating Great Britain at the top of the overall leaderboard and Australia in second, the Aussies are determined to bounce back after Los Angeles and secure a pivotal event win as they look to establish early dominance in the 2025 Season.
Reflecting on the team’s results in LA, where Australia came in third place behind Canada and New Zealand, Team Driver and CEO Tom Slingsby said, “I need to get better at my starts, as I say don’t get bitter, get better.”
Slingsby’s team has won three of SailGP’s four visits to San Francisco and was unbeaten here until Spain clinched the Season 4 Championship title last season. This will be Australia’s first return to San Francisco following the heartbreaking loss to Spain, which Slingsby commented on saying “I don’t think I will ever heal from that loss.”
After delivering a masterclass in a tightly-congested practice session, Slingsby and his Australia crew got a feel for the racecourse, finishing in first in both races.
“I think in the early days of this championship we had an advantage in stronger winds as we had more experience than other teams but as we saw last season with Spain taking the win, other teams are stepping up in that regard, so our advantage has definitely diminished a lot here in San Fran. We still think we’re a tough team to beat and we’re going to try and show that this weekend.
SailGP officials adopted a 5-6 split fleet format for practice racing to minimise the risk of F50 damage ahead of this weekend’s races.
With 11 of 12 teams on the start line and top-end conditions expected, avoiding collisions and protecting the F50s will be just as crucial as winning races.
Slingsby said, “I’m doing everything I can not to hit the other boats but you do get put in situations where you need to keep the boats apart while still pushing hard to win. You need a lot of luck, experience and a wise head on your shoulders to say hey this isn’t the time to push it.”
ROCKWOOL Denmark will not compete in San Francisco after damage sustained in Los Angeles was deemed too extensive to repair in time for this weekend.
Racing commences on Sunday 23 March for Australians from 8:30am-10:00am AEDT. Fans can catch all the high-speed action live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
Olivia Hogan, Director, Australia SailGP Team
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