Australia continued its dominance at the 2026 SailGP Halifax regatta with a second consecutive race win, Tom Slingsby steering the Bonds Flying Roos to victory in a contest that will be remembered less for who won it than for the wind shift that destroyed the ambitions of the teams who had looked set to lead it home. Denmark and Brazil paid a steep price for backing the wrong side of the course, while France salvaged third and New Zealand confirmed their return to form with another strong result.
| Pos | Team | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BONDS Flying Roos | Tom Slingsby | 5 PTS |
| 2 | Black Foils | Peter Burling | 4 PTS |
| 3 | DS Automobiles FRA | Quentin Delapierre | 3 PTS |
| 4 | Los Gallos | Diego Botin | 2 PTS |
| 5 | NorthStar | Giles Scott | 1 PTS |
| 6 | ROCKWOOL Racing | Nicolai Sehested | 0 PTS |
| 7 | Mubadala Brazil | Paul Goodison | 0 PTS |
Nikolai Sehested gave Rockwool Denmark a commanding start, reading an early leftward shift in the harbour breeze well enough to leave both Australia and New Zealand scrambling near the start line. Denmark rounded Mark 1 at the front of the fleet, with Brazil pressing closely in their wake. The left side of the course looked like where the pressure was, and both crews committed to it without hesitation. For the bulk of the race that call appeared thoroughly justified, a genuine top-two result for each team looking well within reach. Halifax Harbour had other ideas. In the closing stages the breeze rotated sharply back to where it had started, stranding every boat on the left in suddenly useless air. Denmark, who had led for much of the contest, fell all the way to sixth. Brazil dropped a place further to seventh.
The collapse of the left-side brigade reshuffled the entire fleet and brought Australia and New Zealand surging to the front. What followed was a compelling upwind battle between Slingsby and Peter Burling, two of the finest helmsmen in the competition, who matched each other tack for tack along the final upwind leg. The margin between them was razor-thin until Slingsby found a favourable wind angle that gave the Bonds Flying Roos the separation they needed. Australia crossed first, completing back-to-back race victories at the regatta.
For New Zealand, second place meant considerably more than a points gain on paper. The Black Foils had been sidelined for four months following an injury, and their return to competition had now produced a third and a second in successive races. Any concern that the extended break might have blunted their edge was answered across both outings.
DS Automobiles France rounded out the podium in third, pulling clear of Spain in the final stages to secure the position. The result carried added significance for the French team because strategist Manon Audinet was back on board for the first time since injuring herself at the Auckland event. She had spent months in intensive rehabilitation to return to race fitness, stepping straight back into her role calling strategy and managing the high-load demands of foiling catamaran racing. Her comeback was one of the more uplifting stories the day produced. Giles Scott brought Canada home in fifth, giving the local crowd a moment to celebrate on their home waters.
