SailGP returns to Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour this month and for the first time punters will get to go behind the scenes for a tour of the “pit-lane garages” where crew and shore teams prepare the flying F50 catamarans.
Cityscape was among the selected media who got to tour the team bases at last year’s inaugural Lyttelton event and it was eye-popping. Surgery-clean spaces, the highest of tech and hangar-like sheds sheltering “sails” that look more like the rippled wing of an airplane. The scale and sophistication is typical of the SailGP circus, which doesn’t just arrive somewhere, it invades. Last year, 84 containers of boats, gear, computer wizardry, even whole buildings, were shipped to Lyttelton’s Naval Point, assembled and made ready for the sold-out crowd that witnessed SailGP’s New Zealand debut. The New Zealand team got pipped for a win back then but the crowd was happy – we beat the Aussies and the winning Canadian boat was helmed by a Kiwi! This time Peter Burling, Blair Tuke and the rest of the SailGP team will be gunning for a win in front of the home crowd. The Lyttelton leg is the ninth stop of 13 world destinations in SailGP's fourth season. Talking to members of the international media at last year’s event, they said the whole experience of SailGP in Christchurch was quite different to other city venues. A media centre overlooking the harbour and racecourse was “the best yet”. Also cool was that the whole city seemed to know the event was on – you don’t necessarily get that in Singapore or Sydney. Ticket options for the two days include Race Stadium seating close to the action and live entertainment and prime viewing on the Platinum Lawn. Or you can buy a flag and Bring Your Own Boat. The Team Base Tours are also ticketed.