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SailGP Auckland 2025: High-Speed Thrills on Waitematā Harbour

20 January 2025 | 36 Degrees News

The ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix got off to a flying start in Auckland on the weekend of January 18-19, 2025, with some high-octane racing entertaining the masses. The event concluded with the Australian SailGP Team, led by skipper Tom Slingsby, crowned winners after an action-packed weekend of racing on the Waitematā Harbour.

The competition featured 11 F50 catamarans, including the return of the French team with a newly completed boat. With the introduction of titanium T-foils, teams reached speeds never before seen, with New Zealand's team, led by Peter Burling, reaching up to 97 km/h during training sessions.

With Diego Botín at the helm, Spain's team performed well to finish second in the final race, 22 seconds behind Australia, which puts it in a great place in the overall standings, equal on points with Australia and close to Great Britain and New Zealand.

The event attracted some 25,000 spectators, including a sell-out fleet of 20 superyachts and 380 spectator boats, reinforcing Auckland's reputation as the "City of Sails.

Economic development for the city is expected to be in the multi-millions as a result of the successful hosting of the Sail Grand Prix, with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited investing more than $1 million to bring the regatta to Auckland.

From there, the fleet will go on to Sydney for the next event on February 8-9, 2025, where the teams will again fight it out for supremacy in this fast-paced sailing series.

36 Degrees

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