SailGP NZ$

2023 - 3 - 17

Sail GP

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Scuttlebutt Sailing News"

Dolphins at risk for SailGP New Zealand >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News (Scuttlebutt Sailing News)

When the nine SailGP teams compete in the penultimate event of Season 3 on March 18-19, the smallest and rarest marine dolphins in the world may be there ...

[click here](https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2023/03/14/all-nine-teams-for-sailgp-new-zealand/). Rival national teams compete in identical F50 catamarans for event prize money as the season culminates with a $1 million winner-takes-all match race. The ADD range spans hundreds of meters which extend well outside the course limits, though it is not known what actions by SailGP will occur if there is a detection. More so, one expert believes it is possible for the dolphins, which have an inquisitive nature, to be attracted to the Acoustic Deterrent Device (ADD). “Marine mammals already face risks year-round within Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour but the risk level will be heightened by SailGP’s training and racing activities. The risk to the Hector’s dolphins, known to frequent the natural amphitheater of Lyttelton Harbour, have raised concerns in Christchurch, New Zealand.

SailGP Christchurch: All you need to know for New Zealand debut in ... (New Zealand Herald)

What exactly is SailGP? The brainchild of Larry Ellison and Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP is a high-performance sailing series in which teams compete across a ...

No team has won more races than the New Zealand team this year; however, penalties have cost them points on the leaderboard and they trail the Australians by 12. The winner of an event gets 10 points toward the season leaderboard, and the points allocation trickles down from there to two points for ninth place. They can be caught from the city centre live site, located between Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and Cathedral Square. So, the goal leading into San Francisco is a top-three finish; there is no benefit to ending the regular season atop the ladder when it comes to the Grand Final shootout race. The brainchild of Larry Ellison and Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP is a high-performance sailing series in which teams compete across a season with the ultimate goal of claiming the US$1 million (NZ$1.6m) prize at the end. The series is contested in F50 foiling catamarans, similar to those used in the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda.

SailGP: Thousands of supporters head to Lyttelton for grand prix event (RNZ)

The two-day event is the first time the international sailing circuit has taken a grand prix to New Zealand waters.

This event is also the first of a four-year commitment to New Zealand with racing set to head to Auckland in 2024. The New Zealand SailGP is the final race ahead of the Grand Final in San Francisco on 6-7 May. "We're definitely playing the long game, just trying to improve event by event and make sure that we're in the top three by the end of the San Francisco event," he said. On the water, New Zealand is hoping home advantage will pay dividends as it looks to make ground on a championship-leading Australian outfit. It is the first time the international sailing circuit has taken a GP to New Zealand waters. A crowd of about 15,000 will converge on Lyttelton Harbour from Saturday for the two-day grand prix, an event which is expected to bring a sizable windfall for the Garden City.

Live updates: NZ Sail Grand Prix at Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch ... (Newshub)

Join us at 3pm Saturday, as the home team try to consolidate their spot in the Grand Final field.

Live: New Zealand Sail Grand Prix on Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch (Stuff.co.nz)

France set the early pace while New Zealand with Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in the hot seats lie second in race one on Lyttelton Harbour.

'Clear failure' to stop SailGP race (Newsroom)

Successive conservation ministers, and their department, have failed to protect dolphins from a high-speed boat race held in a marine mammal sanctuary, ...

Last month, Christchurch newspaper The Star reported details of a leaked, unredacted copy of SailGP’s marine mammal management plan (MMMP). ChristchurchNZ, the economic agency, is pumping $3 million of cash and in-kind investment into the event. “DoC have already imposed even more stringent regulations in the Bay of Islands, where boats are required to stop in certain parts … “However she is advised that the previous minister received a high level update during a stakeholder meeting some months ago.” As part of SailGP’s charm offensive, a handful of young sailors are racing the Lyttelton Harbour course. Reader donations are critical to what we do. (At the time, Kiritapu Allan was Conservation Minister; she was followed by Poto Williams.) Anytime since, Slooten says, the sanctuary’s rules could have been changed – with a 28-day notice period – to ban the race and protect dolphins. Earlier this week, Kiwi sailor Phil Robertson described the yachts as Will marine mammals and other protected animals be safe? A proposal by SailGP to use an underwater noise device to scare dolphins away Sail Grand Prix makes its New Zealand debut this weekend in Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, over the Port Hills from Christchurch. Two rangers on Ōtamahua/Quail Island will help manage spectators.