TV3 News has reported, as an exclusive, that SailGP has reached a fundamental agreement with Auckland stakeholders to continue racing in the city beyond its current commitment, which ended at the end of this weekend’s SailGP.
The report states that the core commercial and hosting arrangements are now aligned in principle. Sir Russell Coutts and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown both confirmed today that the fundamentals are agreed.
Until now, SailGP had not formally committed to a longer stay in Auckland. There has been optimism, but no clear signal. Today’s confirmation changes that tone. It suggests both sides see long-term value in keeping SailGP on the Waitematā.
What is not yet locked in is 2027 dates.
A crowded March in 2027
The complication is timing, not appetite.
The Ocean Race is scheduled to stop in Auckland in March 2027. Viaduct Harbour is expected to be its operational base. That means team compounds, public activation zones, shore facilities and extensive waterfront use.
SailGP also uses Viaduct Harbour as its technical hub. The F50s are craned in and out there each day during regatta week. Containers, support equipment and broadcast infrastructure all sit within that same footprint.
Add to that the Auckland On Water Boat Show, which in 2027 will mark its 26th year and traditionally runs around the first weekend of March. That event also relies on the Viaduct and the surrounding marina space.
You do not need to be a logistics expert to see the challenge.
Three major marine events cannot comfortably occupy the same waterfront at the same time. Even staggered closely together, the turnaround demands on marina space, crane access and public safety planning would be significant.
That is why the 2027 SailGP date remains open.
What this really means for Auckland
Strip away the calendar puzzle and one conclusion stands out.
SailGP wants to stay. Auckland wants SailGP here. The commercial case and the hosting model are understood and accepted.
That is not a small achievement. International events at this level are not sentimental. They stay where the numbers stack up and where operations work.
Auckland offers a compact stadium harbour, a knowledgeable marine workforce, and a waterfront that delivers strong broadcast pictures. It also offers a sailing culture that understands foiling, wind shifts and high speed decision making.
The agreement in principle suggests those strengths have carried weight.
The remaining job is practical rather than political. The Ocean Race has its own global calendar. The Auckland On Water Boat Show has long standing dates and industry commitments. SailGP has a travelling championship schedule to manage.
Someone will need to move, or at least adjust.
The likely path forward
There are several possible outcomes.
SailGP could shift its Auckland leg slightly earlier or later in the season. The Ocean Race stopover window may have some flexibility at the edges. The boat show dates could potentially move within a narrow band, though that would affect exhibitors and international visitors.
All of those conversations will involve commercial risk and negotiation.
What feels unlikely is Auckland losing SailGP altogether. Today’s confirmation points in the opposite direction.
The more probable scenario is a reshuffled March, or a new time slot entirely, to allow all three events to coexist without straining the harbour.
For now, the headline is clear.
The SailGP Auckland extension is agreed in principle. The city’s waterfront will remain a grand prix sailing stage. The only piece left to solve is when, not whether, the F50s return in 2027.
