Slingsby steers Aussie to SailGP win on wild day at Cowes

Tom Slingsby skippered Team Australia to three dominating victories in the SailGP regatta at Cowes, England, on Sunday and back into the overall lead on a windy, wild day on the Solent.

Rome Kirby’s Team USA capsized just seconds into the first race but regrouped and finished fourth and fifth in Races 2 and 3 to take over third place in the global league.

The British team wasn’t as lucky in home waters. Its foiling, 50-foot catamaran suffered damage late in the first race and missed the next two races, dropping into fourth overall in the six-boat fleet.

Slingsby, an Olympic gold medalist and former America’s Cup champion, leads Nathan Outteridge’s Team Japan 169 to 165, with the United States third with 123 points.

The final regatta, Sept. 20-22 in Marseille, France, will culminate with a $1 million, winner-take-all match race between the top two teams.