Southern success for SailGP

SailGP is breathtaking to watch and whoever – or wherever – in New Zealand hosts the next event will be incredibly lucky.

Super Sunday

The ‘Super Sunday’ 2024 event at Lyttelton was a spectacular success: 11,000 people were hosted on the day at Naval Point while others watched on from the central Christchurch live site. Thousands more grabbed vantage points on the Port Hills Summit Road, and at homes, baches and vantage points all around the harbour. Vessels of all shapes and sizes hosted more on-water spectators and it’s fair to say there was a buzz around the harbour.

“The event blew me away; it was absolutely phenomenal,” Christchurch resident Barbi Harrison told Boating New Zealand. The Harrison family took their own boat onto the harbour last year to view the extravaganza but say being in the grandstands with a huge crowd provided a ‘next level’ sporting experience.

“We were seated in the grandstand on the finish line and the atmosphere was electric,” she says.

“There was a sense of camaraderie, everyone was happy, we could see all the racing, hear the commentary and even watch it on the big screens. To have the seating literally on the water is quite remarkable and it even allows spectators to hear the sound of these incredible yachts powering past just a few metres away.”

And, having the Black Foils win the event was the icing on the cake, Barbi adds.

They weren’t alone; Boating New Zealand spoke to spectators who’d travelled from as far as Auckland, Napier, Queenstown and Invercargill. More than 22,000 spectators watched over the two days, making it the largest-ever ticketed sailing event. One ex-pat Kiwi living in Canada has made the trip home both years to watch the event and told this magazine he was ‘astonished’ by the crowds, the setting and the racing. He, like many, was also pleasantly surprised at the accessibility of the sailing superstars who mixed and mingled with fans across the weekend.

In particular, the Kiwi driver for the Canadian boat, Phil Robertson, has endeared himself to the fans over the last two years at Lyttelton with his skill, as well as his quick wit and good humour both on and off the racetrack. US driver Taylor Canfield met with media at the completion of racing still adorned with racing helmet and wet gear – having stopped en-route for multiple selfies and chats with supporters. French driver Quentin Delapierre spoke fondly of the spectacular backdrop and how it reminded him of his hometown in France. Even Tom Slingsby, clearly distressed after his catastrophic accident, took time to chat with fans, sign autographs and oblige in selfies.

And, as much as the crowd loves the crews, it’s clear the affection is returned.

“We have got the best home fans in the world,” Peter Burling said at the completion of racing.

“Just seeing how many people came down here to cheer us on, it has been the best day in SailGP history by a mile, we have loved absolutely every minute of it. We are doing everything we can to get the event back in New Zealand for sure.”

Burling said talk of New Zealand being pushed off the itinerary was “crazy”, a sentiment reflected by others, including fellow Kiwi, Robertson.

“It’s probably one of the only locations where you can actually hear the crowd screaming and cheering,” last year’s winner said.

“A couple of our crew were saying they had never experienced that before. What a location. It’s an epic spectacle. It would be a real shame to lose it.”

Global Roadshow

The SailGP roadshow that criss-crosses the globe in shipping containers is a phenomenon and could involve up to 300 staff for each event. Boating New Zealand was granted a behind the scenes tour of the team bases and the technology hubs that underpin the performance of the F50s and it’s obvious it’s a tight-knit, friendly and accommodating group with diverse cultures and a passion for sailing and the circuit. The racing crews share that camaraderie, but the fierce competitive nature is not far below the surface.

The infrastructure involved in getting these yachts racing is quite astonishing. Everyone has an important role to play. In one container, stacked with screens and computers, we spoke to Alex Reid whose team from the Performance Engineering Hub monitor all the data generated from 30 points on each yacht – even the most minute detail.

“What’s unique about SailGP is that all the data and settings from the boats that we receive here is open to all teams in real time,” he says.

“While our guys have to be neutral, we do offer general advice to crews because we don’t want anyone to fail, and we want it to be close and exciting.”

He used a recent example of advice offered to the German crew.

“When they started, the data showed they were spending two to three seconds longer with their boards in the water at a turn compared to some of the better crews, so we could suggest that this was something they could work on.”

Next door, Michaella McCloskey leads the 90 technicians who provide the operational support to the big yachts, both on and off the water. This includes assembling, maintaining and repairing them, as well as monitoring their systems, performance and identifying issues that can then be rectified as quickly as possible.

But hosting the event is also a mammoth undertaking, especially in a small working port of just 3,000 people.

For Harbourmaster Guy Harris and his small team, the work involved in organising and hosting SailGP is immense and began as soon as the decision was made that Lyttelton would again be hosting the event.

The first and perhaps most important job was to apply to the Ministry of Transport for approval to host a major maritime event, he says. That, in turn, required Ministerial approval which can potentially take time, but despite a change of Government it was approved relatively quickly. This provided Guy with additional powers and the ability to delegate other roles and responsibilities as needed.

Meanwhile, his team began detailed conversations and planning with stakeholders and the SailGP event team.

“There was a lot to cover – there was an additional competing boat, some personnel had changed, so we needed to get to know one another and ensure everyone knew the rules of operating on the harbour,” he says.

“We also needed to provide some exemptions to allow racing so my office worked through the requests to establish which we could grant and those we couldn’t.

“Then, in the background, we initiated a formal project and started developing an ‘operations plan’ – developing a safety plan, communications plan, setting up a control room and all those background elements. We have a small team, so we worked closely and effectively with organisations such as Maritime New Zealand, Maritime Police, Otago and Marlborough Harbourmaster offices and the Lyttelton Port Company.”

This allowed Guy to utilise additional vessels and staff from those organisations – 27 people and five vessels in total.

As soon as the SailGP team arrived in the small port town, Guy and his team were on the ground – and water – working to ensure the globally televised event would be safe and run smoothly. That included ensuring the safety of the more than 100 spectator boats, all wanting to get close and enjoy the action on race days.

“I likened my role being a referee in an important rugby match,” he says.

“There’s lots of people, it’s incredibly busy, everyone’s excited and there’s a lot going on. My role is to encourage and support people but remind them of the rules and deal with issues when they arise. Some people think, because I put in some restrictions, that I don’t like the event, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I love it but need to make sure it’s done safely and within the maritime rules.”

And, as shown when the Aussie crew smashed into the finish gate, there’s a very fine line between sailing safely and courting disaster.

Naval Point Club became ‘ground zero’ during the event with SailGP chartering some boats and using their carpark for the two huge cranes that move the F50s, says Club Manager Sabrina Saunders. The 700-odd member club also hosted SailGP’s Inspire programme, catered for some SailGP staff, and provided volunteers including some who helped get the F50s on and off their moorings. And, SailGP staff and crews were always friendly and approachable, she adds.

“On the Thursday before the racing our club hosted a sailing event for people with disabilities and we had members of the Spanish and Swiss crews in attendance and offering some free tickets to the racing. We also had an upcoming fundraiser for Cholmondeley Children’s Centre and some of the crews gave us signed merchandise to auction which was incredibly generous.”

Lyttelton shines, but future murky.

The event was also an opportunity to showcase Lyttelton Harbour as a sailing and boating destination, she adds.

“Everyone thinks Auckland or Wellington are the ‘only’ centres for sailing but we’re working hard to show that Canterbury – and Lyttelton Harbour – is just as good, if not better.”

However, at the time of publication the future of SailGP in New Zealand is as murky as the tidal flats at the head of Lyttelton Harbour. Christchurch’s mayor and ChristchurchNZ – the economic development agency – have indicated they’ll fight to keep it in the harbour and have initiated conversations with Government. What that means is anyone’s guess. The city is still contracted to play host but official word on location isn’t expected until later in May or June when SailGP formally announces its next season details.

So, will SailGP be held again at Lyttelton in the near future? In this writer’s view the likelihood is – very sadly – no. But, there’s no question it’ll be held again in this country. And, as the Lyttelton event over the past two years has shown, it will be embraced.