SailGP returns to Auckland at a later date

RNZ News

2 days ago

New Zealand SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling sails towards spectators in the grandstand on Race Day 1 of The Rolex SailGP 2025 Championship ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland
Photo:
Felix Diemer for SailGP
SailGP will return to Auckland's Waitematā Harbour in February next year, sandwiched between two events in Australia.
Auckland will host the F50 catamaran racing for a second time on 14 and 15 February, backing up from the
debut event
in the city in January this year.
Ten events on the calendar for next season were announced in April - Perth, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Bermuda, New York, Halifax, Portsmouth, Saint-Tropez, Dubai and Abu Dhabi - with the Auckland event added on Friday and one more European event yet to be confirmed.
Perth will host the 2026 season opener on 17 and 18 January, marking a change from this season which began in Dubai in November last year, before racing heads to Auckland and then on to Sydney a fortnight later as the 11-month-long championship enters a new era of starting the season in the Asia-Pacific region.
SailGP chief executive Sir Russell Coutts said the next season of the championship was the "most expansive calendar to date".
The competition was moving towards a regionalised format with multi-year hosting agreements, aiming to reduce travel distances and improve operational efficiencies.
The Auckland event was supported by the government's Major Events Fund.
Sailing on home waters, in front of a record crowd, did not go well for the Black Foils this season with the New Zealand boat
missing the final
and finishing fourth overall.
Black Foils co-chief executive and driver Peter Burling said the first Auckland event "set a new standard for SailGP events" even if it took a
while to eventuate
.
"It was special to finally see F50s racing in the inner harbour this year and showcase the spectacle of SailGP to our biggest city. The setting in Auckland is a great advertisement for what SailGP is all about.
"I can't wait to be part of the energy that it brought to the city again next year. It really is special to race at home."
Auckland's involvement for the 2027 season and beyond was still being negotiated.
Black Foil Leo Takahashi has previously sailed with Japan and USA.
Photo:
supplied / SailGP
SailGP was set to expand the 12-boat fleet next season and expressions of interest from potential owners for two new teams are open until mid-August.
But is there enough sailing talent to go around? Some experienced sailors have shuffled between SailGP teams as new entries join the growing championship. This season the Black Foils gained Leo Takahashi from the USA and lost Andy Maloney to Brazil.
Black Foils co-chief executive and sailor Blair Tuke said the movement of sailors was "normal" and helped the competition as "it knowledge shares across all teams".
"That's part and parcel of this new world of professional sailing, and I think you'll see it happen more and more. It's not uncommon if you look across other sports, albeit it might be a new thing in sailing.
"When we lost Andy to Brazil, on one hand you're disappointed because you've lost one of your star team members, but on the other hand it shows the growth of the league. That there are transfers happening now, or [situations] where people can go and get paid good money to race for other teams, that's a sign of the growth of the league."
The top tier of experienced elite sailors was still small and Tuke and Burling have not been lured to another SailGP team, surely because of their co-chief executive roles and Live Ocean work, but sailors with their pedigree would be sought after - especially given the unique nature of SailGP, which limited the amount of time sailors get on the water in the boat ahead of a race weekend.
"There are sailors out there but there's more work that needs to be done to try and make sure those teams are competitive as they step in," Tuke said of the expansion teams.
"It is hard to close the gap if there is a skill gap. The league is invested in making sure that those teams, when they come in are at a higher level and can be competitive off the bat."
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) 49er Men on 24th July 2021.
Photo:
Photosport
Tuke and Burling were working behind the scenes trying to grow the Black Foils brand so that they could continue to compete with teams which have bigger financial backing.
"We're one of two or three teams that are still owned by the league, but we're on a pathway towards individual ownership," Tuke said.
"The league's done a great job in its early stages of growing incredibly fast. You only have to look around and see the world-class sponsors that are on the boats, how much interest there is around the league, around the teams, just to know that this thing is a real deal.
"For sure, us as a team need to do more, we want to keep growing the brand we need to do that so that we can attract more commercial sponsors and have more more longevity and be able to match it with the other teams so that's a huge focus."
But come 2027 and the next America's Cup, the duo will spend a little less time together as Tuke remains with Team New Zealand and
Burling leaves Team New Zealand
to join Italy's Luna Rossa.
"Our story started long before Team New Zealand, in the 49er with the Olympics, as we skip forward the story continues," Tuke said.
"It's uncharted territory, but at the same time, we're very driven together at growing this team and to enjoy success. So there's more to write on the story, and I'm just excited to continue to take it on with him."
Sailing's two big foiling competitions may get closer alignment in years to come.
"I think it's fair to say it's still in its early stages of both the SailGP league and the America's Cup working together, but it's proving that it can do and as years go on that'll be a good thing for sailing.
"If both properties are successful, then that's a great thing for the wider sailing community."
New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland in January 2025.
Photo:
Bob Martin for SailGP