After a disappointingly lacklustre light airs opening event in Dubai last month, the fifth season of Sail GP exploded into life this past weekend as strong winds in Auckland New Zealand saw the 11-strong international F50 fleet put on a spectacular show in front of a reported 25,000 fans.
Sailing is not a sport that always lends itself easily to attempts to stage grandstand racing. At many venues setting the course close enough to shore for viable viewing means compromising the quality of the racing. But when the stars align – as they very much did in New Zealand over the weekend – the results can be fantastic.
The SailGP organisers were clearly confident that New Zealand’s reputation for having the world’s most passionate sailing fans would ensure their ‘build it and they will come’ strategy with the 8,000-seat grandstand on the water’s edge in the city’s Wynyard Quarter would pay off. Watching on TV the grandstand looked to be almost completely full on both days – with an equally impressive fleet of spectator boats encircling the racecourse throughout the weekend.
