SailGP is coming to Plymouth, 17 and 18 July

Simon Bruty for SailGP

Great Britain sailGP plymouth july 17-18

High tech High speed High drama sailGP explained meet the teams

the f50 boat

how to watch

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plymouth | july 17-18 Thomas Lovelock for SailGP

Exhilarating

Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison will be driving the Great Britain SailGP boat

entertainment

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hat is SailGP? SailGP is an annual, year-round global championship that aims to redefine the sport. The nation-versus-nation racing format in identical, high performance boats – the F50 foiling catamarans – produces extremely fast, exhilarating entertainment and is much more fan-centric than anything seen before in sailing. It also has a serious purpose – racing for a better future, championing a world powered by nature.

in the driving seat Plymouth sports fans will be able to witness two days of supercharged, high speed, on-water thrills when the SailGP global championship comes to Britain’s Ocean City.

Eight national teams, including Great Britain of course, will compete in the third event of Season 2 on July 17 and 18.

The lightning quick SailGP F50 foiling catamarans of Australia, Denmark, France, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United States will duke it out with the British team for the third time this year in the natural amphitheatre of Plymouth Sound.

While the Spain SailGP Team leads the overall standings going into the Plymouth event – after finishing second at the Italy SailGP in Taranto in June – the Great Britain SailGP Team will be looking to move up from second place to regain the championship lead.

Temporarily driven by Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison, the team is hoping the support of the Plymouth crowd will propel it up the leaderboard and back into first place, in time for Sir Ben Ainslie’s return to the driver’s seat at Aarhus in Denmark, in August.

It means the stage is set for a thrill-a-minute spectacle as the boats tear about at 60mph / 100kph (52+knots), with the Great Britain SailGP Team hoping Plymouth’s famous blustery weather will be in evidence as it would make races even more exciting – and help the home team win.

Paul said the calm weather in Italy hampered the Brits: “We’re hoping for a bit of wind in Plymouth. More

wind means more excitement.”

The Plymouth event is one of nine events, staged over 12 months. After the UK edition it heads to Denmark, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, before concluding in San Francisco with the United States SailGP in March 2022.

The Great Britain SailGP Team includes drivers Paul and Sir Ben, supported by flight controller Luke Parkinson, wing trimmer Iain Jensen, and grinders Matt Gotrel, Richard Mason and Neil Hunter.

The races last 15 to 20 minutes, with three held each day. The top three teams on the leaderboard then compete for glory in the final race of the final day.

At the end of all nine events, the top three teams compete for a US$1m prize in the final race, in San Francisco, USA. Goodison said: “I’m really looking forward to competing on home waters. It’s been a while since I’ve competed in the UK and the support there is always fantastic.

“I can’t wait to fly the Union Jack on Plymouth Sound. I have a few memories sailing in Plymouth and it always seems to deliver good breeze, so fingers crossed for some great conditions and close racing.

“While we want our fans to stay safe, hopefully they will still be able to enjoy the action either via their own boat out on the water or in the socially-distanced spectator area on the Hoe. “Either way, we will be pushing hard to make our home fans proud and give them something to cheer about.”

■■For details of how to watch the action see page 8.

Why was Plymouth chosen to host the Great Britain SailGP event?

In the UK for Season 2, there was a competitive tender process and Plymouth’s bid shone through.

Plymouth is a city that shares a lot of the same DNA as SailGP, with a strong focus on marine technology and well aligned with our sustainability objectives.

It also provides great v i e w i n g opportunities for spectators, who can view the racing from an elevated position on Plymouth Hoe. On a personal note, I have raced in Plymouth and it is a truly fantastic venue so I am really looking forward to showcasing SailGP there.

SailGP chief executive officer Sir Russell Coutts is a world champion yachtsman from New Zealand. He’s an Olympic gold medallist and has won the America’s Cup five times. Here he explains why Plymouth is a great venue for the event, how the city will benefit, and says that the whole world will be watching in economic impact.

In addition to the economic impact, there is also an environmental benefit as SailGP is a world class, climate-positive global event. These economic and environmental benefits are matched with community engagement opportunities through SailGP Inspire (see page 7) and SailGP’s Race for the Future purposedriven agenda.

SailGP is also working with event partners Plymouth City Council, University of Plymouth, Mount Batten Watersports & Activities Centre, Plymouth Youth Sailing, Horizons and Plymouth City College to ensure there is a lasting legacy in the city after SailGP has departed.

around the world. The exposure is incredible, and something our team is proud to have achieved in a short amount of time. Our opening event for Season 2 enjoyed viewership numbers in excess of 87 million.

In addition to television coverage – in the UK via SKY Sports – racing is streamed live through the SailGP APP, Facebook and YouTube.

Plymouth is poised for global exposure from a variety of broadcast sources: aerial and on-water footage, crew-mounted cameras both on the sailors and the boats. The storytelling possibilities are endless and we will also welcome local, national and international media to Britain’s Ocean City.

How can businesses take part and benefit from the event?

We are hoping local businesses will be able to maximise the opportunities around SailGP as they focus on post-pandemic economic recovery.

Although the event is just around the corner, there are still opportunities for businesses to get involved.

These include having a presence in the official spectator area, supplying goods and services to the league and teams or just showing their support and getting behind the British team by placing a poster in their business/shop window or sharing some of our social media content.

Tell us more about Race for the Future and how SailGP will combat climate change and boost use of clean energy?

In October 2020, SailGP introduced its Race for the Future purpose-led agenda, placing purpose and impact at the heart of the organisation and leading the way as the first climate positive sports and entertainment property.

Our goal is to race for a better future – a better sport and a better planet – and accelerate the transition to clean energy, with our events 100% powered by clean energy by 2025.

It has been said SailGP will bring an £18m boost for Plymouth? How is that calculated?

In its inaugural season in 2019, SailGP generated an average impact of $23 million per event and attracted a worldwide broadcast audience of 256 million across five events. The UK event in SailGP Sea- How will SailGP showcase Plymouth? son 1 was witnessed by 24,000 spec- The Great Britain SailGP will be tators and delivered US$24 million broadcast in over 175 territories The F50 foiling catamarans produce fast, exhilarating racing

nature – by wind, by sun and by water. The ocean is our playground, and we need to take care of how valuable a resource it is to all of us. To make a significant impact both environmentally and socially, the league is implementing activities on-water, onshore, in the cities hosting its events and with its teams.

We have blue carbon projects delivered through our partnership with Worldview International Foundation, which is planting mangroves to eliminate 500 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. We are shifting from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy by 2025 and use the Tesla Powerwall system to recharge systems aboard the F50 foiling catamarans. Plus, each of the SailGP teams races for the future and is involved with local charities and organisations to help raise awareness of their efforts, offer support with local sustainability efforts, and help secure funding for the organisations through race results.

Delivering actions and innovations that advance the global adoption of clean energy is essential to SailGP, along with key initiatives centered on diversity and inclusion like SailGP Inspire and our women’s pathway program – aimed to create a more diverse and inclusive sport from grassroots through to the top end of the sport.

Will SailGP be coming back to Plymouth in the future?

SailGP has recently opened its tender process for Season 3 and of the utmost importance is maintaining partnerships with cities that are committed to creating a better Tell us more about Powered by future, and are aligned with our Nature and SailGP’s mission to sustainable global racing calendar promote inclusion and diversity.

Our championship is powered by now, and in the long term.

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plymouth | july 17-18 simon bruty for sailGP

powered by nature on sea and shore SailGP will bring exciting race action to Plymouth but the global championship is about more than just thrills and spills – it also has a strong mission to use its platform to make both the sport and the planet better.

As a sport that is powered by nature, SailGP is leading the way as the first climate positive sport and, through its Race for the Future working to accelerate the transition to clean energy.

Leading by example, SailGP is committed to running its entire events powered by clean energy by 2025 and has an overall plan to reduce its carbon footprint by over 55% in the next five years. In addition, SailGP’s eight national teams also race for purpose – beyond just winning on the water – working with like-minded non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to deliver meaningful change in their own countries and beyond.

Fiona Morgan, director of purpose and impact for SailGP, said Race for the Future is striving for a “better sport and a better planet”.

“The ocean is our racetrack and our sport is powered by nature,” she said. “So, we want to be the first climate positive sport. We take responsibility for our footprint and set a goal of reducing it by 55% by 2025.

“That means looking at everything we do, from the way the boats are shipped, the temporary power at our event sites, the way merchandise is packaged, and our food.

“And where we can’t reduce, we invest in projects like wind and hydro farms.”

SailGP is looking to become fully powered by nature – by wind, sun and water – on water and on shore in the next four years. Fiona said that SailGP is already looking at using electric power for its fleet of support boats (that assist the high-tech racing catamarans) and is already using innovative technology – such as remote umpire technology to remove its umpires and their fossil fuelled boats from the race course – to start a clean energy revolution.

“We have already saved about 100 people travelling to events,” she said. “and in every host city, including Plymouth, we have a local impact strategy.”

She said that in the Ocean City this means becoming involved with Plymouth Energy Community, a social enterprise and charity aiming to create an affordable, zero-carbon energy system for low-income families.

“We are looking to invest in that,” said Fiona. “We think we can fund nearly 20 homes.”

SailGP is also supporting the Ocean Conservation Trust’s campaign to grow more seagrass, which is vital for taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Alongside these climate initiatives there is work being carried out to make the sport more inclusive.

“We are looking at getting more women into sailing,” said Fiona. “We want the sport to be for any person, from any background, any gender, any race. Through both the Inspire programme and our women’s pathway programme – we want more female athletes involved throughout and at the top of the sport.

“Social and environmental systems fit together,” she said. “It’s about making the sport better and making the planet better. We need that holistic approach”

SailGP

explained

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ailGP races for a better future, championing a world powered by nature.

The sport’s pinnacle league, SailGP features national teams battling in short, intense races at iconic stadiumstyle venues across the globe, building to the grand final – and sailing’s top prize of US$1 million.

The high-tech, high-speed action features sailing’s best athletes racing in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, flying at electrifying speeds exceeding 60mph / 100kph (52+knots). race weekend Events take place across two days, with six races scheduled for each Sail Grand Prix; five fleet races and the final race.

The first day includes three fleet races, while the second day has the other two fleet races and ends with The Final – the last race of the event.

Fleet races The five fleet races – which last approximately 15 minutes each – involve all eight teams, with points awarded related to their finishing position.

A leaderboard is produced after each race to determine the event rankings, based upon how many points each team has been awarded in every race.

The final The last race of each SailGP event is The Final, which sees the three highest ranked teams in the event leaderboard race off to be crowned event winners.

The final race at the last Grand Prix of the season is the Grand Final – with the highest ranked teams in the season leaderboard going head-to-head to be crowned SailGP Champions and win the $1 million prize.

Scoring The event leaderboard totals all the points the teams have scored in the five fleet races.

Points are awarded to each team based on their finishing position in each fleet race, with the team finishing first scoring eight points and the team finishing last scoring one.

If there is a tie between two or more boats, they shall be ranked in the leaderboard in order of their finishing places in the most recent race.

sailgp F50 catamaran

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inspiring the next generation driver

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meet the teams Headed by America’s Cup winning tactician Tom Slingsby, Season 1 champions Australia SailGP Team is a young crew mixed with experienced sailors eager to defend its title in 2021.

Joining the Australian team for Season 2 is Devon-born Nick Hutton, who will be returning home for the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Plymouth. n Tom Slingsby – CEO and driver n Kyle Langford – wing trimmer n Jason Waterhouse – flight controler and tactician n Sam Newton – grinder n Kinley Fowler – flight controller and grinder n Nick Hutton – grinder n Nina Curtis – athlete n Ed Powys – interim athlete n Joey Newton – interim athlete

Led by multi-time round the world ocean racer Nicolai Sehested, the Danes boast a wealth of experience onboard and proudly fly the Danish flag on the global stage.

Two female athletes have also been added to the roster for Season 2, with Olympic medalists Anne-Marie Rindom and Katja Salskov-Iversen both successful candidates of the Denmark SailGP Team female development programme. n Nicolau Sehested – driver n Rasmus Kostner – flight controller n Tom Johnson – wing trimmer n Martin Kirketerp – grinder n Hans-Christian Rosendahl – grinder n Lars-Peter Rosendahl – grinder n Anne-Marue Rindom – athlete n Katja Salskov-Iversen – athlete

Hailing from a nation that brings together some of the top sporting talent in the world, with sailing no exception, the Spain SailGP Team features Olympians and world champions from across the country.

The Spanish team is the youngest team to compete in the world’s most cutting-edge sail racing and made its debut in February 2020. n Phil Robertson – driver n Florian Trittel – wing trimmer n Diego Botin – flight controller n Antonio Netu Cuervas-Mons – grinder n Mateu Barber – grinder n Lucas Trittel – grinder n Tara Pacheco – athlete n Andrea Emone – athlete n Jordi Xammar – driver n Xabi Fernandez – coach and interim athlete n Taylor Canfield – interim athlete

Billy Besson will try to give France a second wind during SailGP Season 2. Working with renewed energy, the French will forge ahead to achieve their key objectives of reaching the podium at each event while also promoting a higher purpose through SailGP. France SailGP Team also presents an official team of eSport athletes for Season 2 of the eSailGP Championship, the virtual version of the high performance championship in F50. n Billy Besson – driver n Francois Morvan – flight controller n Leigh McMillan – wing trimmer n Matthieu Vandame – grinder n Olivier Herledant – grinder n Timothe Lapauw – grinder n Amelie Riou – athlete n Helene Noesmoen – athlete

Driven by Ben Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor of all time who joined for Season 2, the Great Britain SailGP Team comprises some of the country’s top sporting talent, with Olympic medals across multiple sports.

For Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, the British team will be temporarily driven by Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison. n Ben Ainslie – driver n Luke Parkinson – flight controller n Iain Jensen – wing trimmer n Matt Gotrel – grinder n Richard Mason – grinder n Neil Hunter – grinder n Paul Goodison – interim driver

With Olympic champion Nathan Outterridge at the helm, the Japan SailGP Team comprises top international talent and experienced Japanese sailors who finished runner-up in the inaugural season. n Nathan Outteridge – CEO and driver n Francesco Bruni – flight controller n Chris Draper – wing trimmer n Leo Takahashi – flight controller n Yuki Kasatani – grinder n Tim Morishima – grinder, n Wakako Kajimoto – athlete n Sena Takano – athlete

Olympic gold medalists and defending America’s Cup champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke head up the New Zealand Team.

The team will race with purpose, supporting its Race for the Future charity partner Live Ocean, the marine conservation organisation founded by Burling and Tuke. n Peter Burling – co-CEO and driver n Blair Tuke – co-CEO and wing trimmer n Andy Maloney – flight controller n Josh Junior – grinder n Liv Mackay – athlete n Marcus Hansen – grinder n Louis Sinclair – grinder n Erica Dawson – athlete n Arnaud Psarofaghis – interim driver n Jason Saunders – interim athlete n James Wierzbowski – interim athlete

Led by two-time America’s Cup champion Jimmy Spithill, the United States SailGP Team is looking for payback in 2021 as they seek to win the global championship for the red, white, and blue. n Jimmy Spithill – CEO and driver n Rome Kirby – flight controller n Andrew Campbell – grinder n Cooper Dressler – grinder n Alex Sinclair – grinder n Paul Campbell-James – wing trimmer n Daniela Moroz – athlete n CJ Perez – athlete

Hundreds of Plymouth school children are to get the chance to learn all about the technology and engineering behind some of the world’s most impressive racing boats thanks to SailGP. SailGP’s Inspire programme aims to build a more inclusive sport and create the next generation of athletes and environmentalists.

It works with young people in every host city, which means it will be engaging with more than 200 children who will take part when the exciting racing event comes to Britain’s Ocean City.

Inspire is a gender-balanced youth and community engagement program created as part of SailGP’s better sport strategy.

The aim is to build a more inclusive sport from the ground up and help educate and create the next generation of climate advocates and sailors. There are three pillars to the engagement with youngsters: learning, careers and racing.

The learning segment is targeted at young people who do not have access to sailing.

Students who may never have seen a boat before are invited to come and take part in learning experiences followed by a behindthe-scenes tour of the highperformance, supercharged F50 boats, finishing the day with an opportunity to sail for the first time.

“Young people that have not had the chance to go sailing can have an on-water experience for the first time,” explained Tom Herbert-Evans, SailGP’s youth

sailing programme manager.

“And there will be shore-based activities to give them an interest in the science, technology and engineering around the sport.”

Through Inspire Careers, young people will be offered the opportunity to gain experience in a series of key SailGP micro-internships: boatbuilding, rigging, hydraulics, wing assembly, hospitality, sustainability, data analytics and on-water operations. Anyone 18-plus can sign up.

“This is focused around getting young adults into the maritime and sailing industries,” Tom said.

“We will be offering 15 work experiences around the event for a variety of roles including boat building, race management, videography, photography and more.”

This is supported by Plymouth City Council and community organisations; University of Plymouth, City College Plymouth, Mount Batten Watersports & Activities Centre, Horizons and Plymouth youth sailing.

“Anyone 18-plus can sign up,” said Tom. “The idea is to get people who have not got degrees to do this.”

The racing programme is aimed at young people who are already involved in the sport with a mission to develop the next generation of sailing talent.

Sixteen youngsters, an even split of boys and girls, from Plymouth will be able to sail on the dinghy RS Feva , in partnership with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

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travelling to Plymouth Plymouth is going to be very busy over the weekend of July 17-18 due to the SailGP event, therefore, please use public transport where possible.

If you are travelling to the city, make sure you plan your journey.

For full details of travelling to and around Plymouth by car, on public transport, cycling and walking visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/parking andtravel Here are some options to help:

How to

Arriving by car

Plymouth is easily accessible by car, but we recommend you use Google Maps to plan the quickest route.

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Parking

There are plenty of car parks in the city centre within walking distance of the spectator area.

Please note, machines in all city centre car parks no longer take cash, with customers required to pay by credit and debit card or pay

by RingGo, via the mobile phone app, website or by phone – except the multi storeys which are credit and debit card only.

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Disabled parking

Eighty disabled parking spaces will be available on the Hoe on both Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July; spaces will be available on a first-come-first serve basis A free shuttle bus will also be operating for blue badge holders from Martin Street car park to the Hoe on both days of the event.

Social distancing guidelines will be followed on the service. The first shuttle bus will leave Martin Street at 12 noon and the last shuttle bus from the Hoe will depart at 7pm.

Park and Ride

There are three park and ride sites in Plymouth where you can park for free and take the bus. All three sites will be operating on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July.

Arriving by train

Go to www.plymouth.gov.uk/park ingandtravel/publictransport/rail for information on train services to and from Plymouth.

Arriving by coach

Stagecoach’s Falcon service connects Plymouth with Exeter, Taunto and Bristol Airport and city centre.

Local transport

There are lots of different options for travelling around Plymouth once you’re there as well.

Walking and cycling

Plymouth has an extensive network of walking and cycling routes.

Buses

The majority of bus services in

Plymouth serve Royal Parade which is a short walk to the Hoe. The Plymouth Citybus Service 34 connects the Cremyll Ferry with the City Centre, for visitors from the Rame peninsula All Plymouth bus operators are able to accept contactless payment and face coverings are compulsory on public transport at present.

Concessionary bus passes

Concessionary bus passes will be able to be used on local service buses on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July, including the Sunday Park and Ride.

Water transport

Plymouth is served by a number of local ferries, including to Mount Batten.

ollowing intense competition in the first two events of the season in Bermuda and Taranto (Italy), fans can expect more high-flying foiling action in Plymouth with each team racing to the edge for every available point.

Adhering to government guidelines and SailGP’s own COVID-Safe plan, a ticketed, official spectator area will be situated on Plymouth Hoe right on the waterfront for a limited number of fans to watch the racing. Boat owners are also invited to take their boat out to watch the racing and can register for all of the course information via SailGP’s Bring Your Own Boat Program.

A limited number of tickets are still available at SailGP.com/GreatBritain You can also read the SailGP Covid-19 Safe event guidelines on the website.

Racing takes place between 2pm and 3.30pm on Saturday 17 July, and 2.30pm and 4pm on Sunday 18 July.

The official spectator area will open at 11.30am on both days.

Fans unable to attend can watch all the action live on SKY Sports (UK and Ireland) as well as live on YouTube.

The award-winning SailGP APP – available in the App Store and Google Play – gives the ultimate viewing experience with full customisation, access to data, and live commentary.