lyttelton yacht racing

Sail Grand Prix Season 2024

Ōtautahi, Christchurch was the host city for the inaugural  ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix  on Whakaraupō, Lyttelton Harbour in March 2023.

The spectacular close-to-shore racing was witnessed by 15,000 people at Naval Point and another 4500 at the central city live site.

Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Rāpaki hold guardianship over the harbour and worked closely with SailGP and ChristchurchNZ to bring the event to life. The event will be held again in March 2024 in Lyttelton Harbour and we look forward to welcoming it back. The event will take place on March 23rd and 24th 2024. Lyttelton will have traffic management in place over this time for the event.

At this point in time, we do not have much information on the event and queries can be directed to [email protected]

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First look at lyttelton harbour sail gp course, race dates revealed.

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• Christchurch

Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour will host the exciting new format of racing, with Christchurch one of at least nine destinations to celebrate the international event in the expanded calendar for Season 3.

The 2023 New Zealand Sail Grand Prix will be the first event in a four-year commitment to Aotearoa with support from the Government through the Major Events Fund, ChristchurchNZ and Auckland Unlimited.

Through the partnership – spanning Season 3 to Season 6 – Christchurch and Auckland will share hosting duties of SailGP, claiming a permanent fixture on the SailGP season calendar and the first home event for Peter Burling and Blair Tuke's New Zealand SailGP Team.

"Entering Season 3 of SailGP and our second year in the league knowing we'll be racing on home waters in March adds an extra element of excitement and determination. New Zealanders have always been keen sailors and supporters, and we can't wait to have that Kiwi energy and hype right there on the water's edge," New Zealand SailGP Team co-CEO Tuke said.

The race course for the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix has also been confirmed, with fans getting closer to the action in New Zealand than they ever have before.

Ten identical hydro-foiling catamarans are expected to reach speeds of almost 100 km/h as they fly within metres of the shoreline by Naval Point - Te Nukutai o Tapoa, coming into the finish in front of thousands of fans.

"Heading into its third season, SailGP is going from strength to strength commercially and is recognised as the fastest growing sports league in the world - it is action-packed, boat-to-boat racing just metres off the shoreline edge. With 10 boats on a very tight course, it really is dramatic, as we have seen with other events this season with capsizes, crashes and daring passing manoeuvres.

"SailGP is expected to generate many positive benefits for the New Zealand economy and environment. The experience will help stimulate and promote regional tourism, showcasing Christchurch in a unique way to a global audience and supporting a number of positive environmental projects."

After the inaugural event scheduled for January 2022 in Christchurch was forced to be cancelled, ChristchurchNZ is excited to host the world-class event in Season 3.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to have committed to hosting the first New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch in 2023, along with Season 5. The Season 3 and Season 5 events are forecast to provide significant increased benefits for Ōtautahi Christchurch compared to the cancelled 2022 event, with more teams participating, a greater global broadcast audience as the popularity of SailGP has grown, and more visitors due to the lessening of COVID-19 travel restrictions," Ali Adams, chief executive of ChristchurchNZ, said.

"Hosting SailGP will have positive legacy impacts for Christchurch and Lyttelton by boosting the reputation of the harbour as a sailing destination, and the city as a place capable of hosting large-scale international events. These legacy impacts will be boosted by the multi-year commitment SailGP has made to New Zealand through to 2026. We are also excited about the greater and longer-term future opportunities the event will have for the various communities around Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour, including Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke."

SailGP Season 3 Schedule // 2022-2023

2022 May 14-15 Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess June 18-19 United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier July 30-31 Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Plymouth August 19-20 ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix | Copenhagen September 10-11 France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez September 24-25 Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía - Cádiz November 12-13 Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas

2023* March 18-19 New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch May 6-7 United States Sail Grand Prix | San Francisco (Season 3 Grand Final) *Further events will be announced to complete SailGP Season 3.

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SailGP Christchurch: All you need to know for New Zealand debut in Lyttelton

Christopher Reive

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SailGP makes its New Zealand debut this weekend. Photo: David Gray / SailGP

All you need to know ahead of SailGP’s New Zealand debut this weekend.

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 season with the ultimate goal of claiming the US$1 million (NZ$1.6m) prize at the end. The current season is the third edition of the competition — the second to feature a New Zealand team — and this weekend’s event in Christchurch will be the first time SailGP has held an event on our shores.

The series is contested in F50 foiling catamarans, similar to those used in the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda. Unlike in the America’s Cup, where boat design is a big part of getting an edge on an opponent, SailGP has a one-design fleet which means every team is sailing with the same equipment, and all nine teams compete at the same time in fleet races.

With the high-speed and precise movements of the vessels, and how busy the race course is, it makes for exciting racing, and the races are completed quickly. An average three-race day will take around 90 minutes to complete.

Each spot of the series — which has grown every year — sees the fleet compete in five races, before the top three on the leaderboard go into the event final, called the podium race. 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.

At the end of the fleet races for the grand finale in San Francisco next month, the top three teams on the overall leaderboard will contest a one-off race where the winner takes home the prize. 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.

Who is racing?

There are nine teams in the current season: New Zealand, Australia (the two-time defending champions), Great Britain, USA, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Canada and Spain.

Across those teams there are several familiar faces. Among them, New Zealand features the likes of Blair Tuke and Peter Burling, USA is led by Jimmy Spithill, Sir Ben Ainslie is at the helm for Great Britain, and Kiwi Phil Robertson is the driver for Canada.

The season started with a fleet of 10, but the Japan entry was indefinitely withdrawn as only nine vessels were available.

Where are they racing then? And when?

In the season’s penultimate event, SailGP has descended upon Lyttelton Harbour, about 20 minutes outside of Christchurch. The sailing will take place from 3pm to 4.30pm this Saturday and Sunday.

Access to Lyttelton will be restricted between 12pm and 6pm on race days and with no public parking in town or on-site, shuttles will be the fastest, most reliable and most sustainable way for ticket holders to get to and from the venue. They can be caught from the city centre live site, located between Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and Cathedral Square. The service runs to the venue from 11.30am to 2.15pm on Saturday and Sunday. Public buses to Lyttelton will continue to operate.

While branded taxis will be able to travel through closures, rideshare services such as Uber will not.

For those who don’t have a ticket to attend the event, the city centre live site will be showing the action on a big screen, and will have a range of activities for kids, food stalls and activations.

How are the Kiwis doing this year?

After some struggles in their debut campaign, the New Zealand SailGP team have been impressive this season and go into the Christchurch event second on the leaderboard. 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 remaining events (Christchurch and San Francisco) will be about consolidating their position in the top three for the Kiwis, who would back themselves against anyone when it came to a one-off race.

The team is primarily comprised of Peter Burling (driver), Blair Tuke (wing trimmer), Andy Maloney (flight controller), Liv Mackay (strategist), Josh Junior (grinder), Louis Sinclair (grinder), and Marcus Hansen (grinder), while Jo Aleh and Erica Dawson have also filled the strategist role throughout the season.

What’s this Impact League they keep talking about?

The Impact League was introduced in the second season of SailGP, and tracks the positive actions teams make to reduce their overall carbon footprint and help accelerate inclusivity in sailing — essentially tracking the positive impact the teams have on the environment and promoting the sport.

It is judged through a wide criteria, with everything from the brand their team clothing comes from to the food they eat and fuel usage being tracked and factoring into their result for the event.

The New Zealand team won the Impact League last season, and are again at the top rung of the ladder heading into Christchurch — just three points ahead of Denmark.

How do I watch it if I’m not in Christchurch?

Sky Sport will be broadcasting the action live from 3pm to 4.30pm on Sky Sport 2 on Saturday and Sky Sport 4 on Sunday. Saturday’s racing will be live free-to-air on Three as well, with delayed coverage at 4.30pm on Sunday.

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Sailgp: thousands of supporters head to lyttelton for grand prix event.

Andy Maloney, flight controller of New Zealand SailGP team, runs across the boat during a practice session on Thursday. Photo: Supplied / SailGP / Ricardo Pinto

Anticipation is building in Christchurch as the SailGP visits these shores for its New Zealand debut this weekend.

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.

It is the first time the international sailing circuit has taken a GP to New Zealand waters.

Founded in 2019 by Sir Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison, the competition teams utilise high performance F50 foiling catamarans.

New Zealand Sail GP co-CEO Blair Tuke greets a member of Ngāti Wheke during a pōwhiri for the SailGP teams in Christchurch this week. Photo: Supplied / SailGP / Bob Martin

SailGP New Zealand chief commerical officer and head of event Karl Budge said there was high anticipation for this weekend's racing.

"It's been incredibly humbling," Budge said.

"Everywhere we've gone, we've just had such incredible response, our tickets sold out within 24 hours," he said.

"Even going getting your morning coffee in Lyttelton, everyone is there ready for a chat."

The competition's commercial clout was growing significantly, Budge said.

"We've seen an all-time sailing viewership record in the United States this year, and we've then gone on to break our own records for each of the next three events," he said.

"I think when you merge to the Formula One with something like what we are, I think it's a pretty compelling product."

The average age of fans had dropped from 41 in the first season in 2019 to 34 for the 2022/23 championship, Budge said.

The event was expected to generate more than $3.2 million into the local economy, with thousands of patrons arriving from outside the region.

The technical area ahead of the New Zealand SailGP in Lyttleton. Photo: Supplied / SailGP / Felix Diemer

ChristchurchNZ acting general manager of destination and attraction Tracey Wilson said she expected revenue to exceed initial projections.

"Probably the biggest event that happens is the 50 million viewers around the globe, that are actually going to be seeing our place hearing our stories, seeing our culture."

Event shuttles will be travelling to the race village from Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre in the central city both days.

There is no public parking in Lyttleton on both days and residents require a vehicle access pass if they need to come and go over the weekend.

Wilson said they had planned for minimal disruption for Lyttleton residents.

"We're ready for this, we've planned and I think it's it's all systems go, it's looking pretty exciting."

Although there had been reported grumbles around restricted access by some residents, most people RNZ spoke to in Lyttleton on Thursday were looking forward to the occasion.

On the water, New Zealand is hoping home advantage will pay dividends as it looks to make ground on a championship-leading Australian outfit.

The second-placed Kiwis trail Australia by 12 points ahead of this weekend's penultimate championship race.

New Zealand flight controller Andy Maloney said getting themselves into contention was the main goal heading into the business end of the series.

"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.

"Hopefully, when we make it to that final where we're the best team on the start line, so that's the mindset going into this event."

View from the grandstand in the fan village looking onto the racecourse at Lyttleton Harbour. Photo: Supplied / SailGP / Felix Diemer

Maloney said there was "a lot of excitement" around performing in front of family and friends.

"I'll probably have 20 family members in the grandstands on Saturday and Sunday, so it'll be really cool to show them what SailGP is all about."

The New Zealand SailGP is the final race ahead of the Grand Final in San Francisco on 6-7 May.

This event is also the first of a four-year commitment to New Zealand with racing set to head to Auckland in 2024.

Copyright © 2023 , Radio New Zealand

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NZ leading SailGP event in Lyttelton after strong opening day

The NZ SailGP team. (Source: Photosport)

The New Zealand SailGP team has made the most of near-perfect conditions in home waters with three top-two finishes on day one of the Lyttelton regatta to lead the event.

The Kiwis came away with two second-place finishes either side of a win in race two to lead the Lyttelton event with two more races to come tomorrow before the top three crews square off in the final.

The day got off to a delayed start but unlike other Kiwi sporting events being hindered by weather this week, it was instead a couple of dolphins in Lyttelton Harbour making a brief appearance before the opening race.

You can't blame them for wanting a front row seat for what was to come.

Peter Burling and his crew put on a superb performance on the day in what is New Zealand's first taste of live SailGP action after almost three seasons.

Burling and company started slow in the first race but managed to maneuver their way back into the contest after sitting seventh at the second gate.

That saw the Kiwis fly into second behind Quentin Delapierre and France and although they tried, they couldn't rein in the French in time and settled for second with Great Britain coming in third.

Burling then responded with a near-flawless second race, using the foundations of an impressive start to cement the lead in the third leg while watching the Aussies - who had been vocal about wanting to rain on the Kiwi parade this week - come off their foils in a costly turn at the fifth gate.

In fact, not even a penalty to start the third race could deny the New Zealanders of a third podium finish with Amokura recovering to slice through the field and finish second behind Canada.

As a result, New Zealand leads after three races with 28 points while Canada is second four points back and Great Britain round out the top three on 23.

France are a chance of cracking the final race in fourth on 21 points while the Australians have some work to do on 18.

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ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch

Getting around during the itm new zealand sail grand prix, traffic management.

To ensure that the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch runs smoothly, a traffic management plan will be in place across the race weekend, Saturday 23 March and Sunday 24 March .

Traffic Management Plan (TMP)

The TMP for the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch is similar to last year with a one-way tunnel restriction limiting access into Lyttelton, between 12 – 6pm on race days. During this time, only emergency vehicles, official event vehicles (buses and shuttles), taxis and vehicles with a clearly-displayed pass will be able to access Lyttelton via Tunnel Road. The TMP has been prepared by SailGP in consultation with Christchurch City Council, Waka Kotahi, ChristchurchNZ and the local community, with input from NZ Police and FENZ.

Road Closures & Restrictions

On both days of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch, road closures and restrictions will be put in place around midday on Saturday and Sunday and lifted around 6pm each day. Road closures will restrict motor vehicle entry into Lyttelton, but vehicles can exit Lyttelton at any time. Entry to Lyttelton will be blocked from Sumner and Governors Bay. Access to Lyttelton will also be restricted via Bridle Path Road (Heathcote), Ferry Road, and via Bridle Path Road.

During this time, only emergency vehicles, official event vehicles (buses and shuttles), and vehicles with a clearly-displayed access pass will be able to access Lyttelton via Tunnel Road. Only Lyttelton residents, business owners and employees who need to work during race weekend are able to obtain a vehicle access pass. This includes residents between Dyers Pass Road and Lyttelton, as there will be a traffic control point at the bottom of Dyer Pass Road. Bridle Path Road will be used as an access point for permitted road users, where access passes will be checked by the traffic management staff. Regular bus services will also be maintained via Bridle Path Road and will have priority when they arrive at the control point.

The main change from last year will be the implementation of restrictions to create a one-way system where vehicles can access Summit Road only via Evans Pass Road. This will help mitigate congestion issues and facilitate better access for emergency services, vehicles and pedestrians.

Commercial port vehicles, along with event bus access will be maintained via Tunnel Road via Port Hills Road. At all times traffic will be able to leave Lyttelton via the roads listed above. Permitted access may be stopped temporarily if unacceptable congestion is building in Lyttelton. This is not anticipated due to the proposed traffic management measures and is only expected to last for short periods of time if required.

The Christchurch Gondola will remain accessible and unimpeded by the traffic management measures in place over the event weekend.

Inner Harbour Community Access

Bays residents between Dyers Pass Road and Lyttelton will be eligible for access passes and will need them to access the tunnel from Christchurch. Roads serving bay residents outside this area will not have traffic management restrictions but will be patrolled for parking or congestion issues.

Access Outside Of Restrictions

While there are no road closures or restrictions beyond Dyers Pass Road, there are measures in place to maintain traffic flow in the surrounding areas, including monitoring and enforcing parking restrictions and VMS sign boards for live updates on strategic access points.

Traffic Management Within Lyttelton

Once within Lyttelton, there will be a checkpoint on Godley Quay which will only allow permitted vehicles to the event site. Those walking to the event from the Lyttelton township can use a shared path from Lyttelton, down to Te Nukutai o Tapoa Naval Point.

Traffic Management Within Christchurch Central City

Traffic management will also be in place surrounding the city centre transport hub outside Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre in order to facilitate safe pick up and drop off for official event shuttles that will be transporting ticket holders to Naval Point. Measures will be in place on Armagh Street and Colombo Street, from 10am – 7pm on 23 – 24 March.

Information About Vehicle Access Passes

During the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch, Lyttelton residents are encouraged to stay home and enjoy the excitement unfolding on Whakaraupō, Lyttelton Harbour but if you need to leave and re-enter the restricted access area during this time, you can do so with a vehicle access pass. Businesses that require passes for employees and/or contractors and suppliers will also be able to do so.

It is important to note that only locals who require access into Lyttelton on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March between the hours of 12pm - 6pm will require an access pass. If you do not need to travel from the city to access your home or workplace in Lyttelton during this time, you do not require a pass. All vehicles can leave Lyttelton at all times - no pass is required for this.

Similar to last year, affected addresses will be issued one pass via mail in a letter drop in early March. Households and businesses who wish to discuss unique requirements can email them to [email protected] .

This vehicle access pass will allow access on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March. Please display the pass clearly on the windscreen of your vehicle to ensure traffic marshals can wave you through in a timely manner.

Please remember, traffic management measures are in place to mitigate unwanted impacts on the local community. As such, there will be no access passes issued for visiting friends and family, so we ask that you do not share your pass with those living outside the area if you plan to stay home. Parking in Lyttelton is extremely limited, so if you have friends coming over before the closures are in place at midday, please ensure you can accommodate their vehicles on your own property or they can access Lyttelton in a marked taxi or a local bus. 

Lyttelton Is Open For Business

For Season 4, SailGP will implement a shuttle running between the SailGP Race Stadium at Naval Point and Lyttelton township. This will enable SailGP ticket-holders to visit Lyttelton before or after racing if they wish, and can also be used by Lyttelton locals to get to and from the event site if they have a ticket.

Please note that at all times during the event weekend, non-residents will still be able to access Lyttelton via public buses (number 8) or clearly-marked taxis. Ubers (non-marked vehicles) will not be permitted through road closures. On-street parking during race weekend will be extremely limited, so if you have visitors coming to Lyttelton before midday, please ensure you can accommodate their vehicles on your property or encourage them to travel via bus or taxi.

Boat Ramp Closures

During the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch, Naval Point will be transformed into a vibrant event village, accompanied by a technical area for visiting teams and operations. As such, the Naval Point public boat ramp will be closed between 7 March – 30 March. This is to ensure health and safety and mitigate issues of congestion on a busy, working site.

Other closures to note are:

• Windsurf ramps closed: 7 March – 30 March
• Naval Point parking restrictions: from 19 February, and very limited between 4 – 30 March
• Freedom Camping area closed: 4 March – 29 March

Ferry Timetable Changes

Regular passengers on the ferry should note that there will be some changes to the usual timetable around SailGP.

Friday, (March 22):

• Last ferry departs Lyttelton at 1250, Diamond Harbour at 1302.
• Ferry resumes at 1745.
• Trips missed (departing Lyttelton): 1350, 1450, 1520, 1600, 1625, 1650, 1715.

Saturday & Sunday (March 23 & 24):

• Last ferry departs Lyttelton at 1320, Diamond Harbour at 1332.
• Ferry resumes at 1750.
• Trips missed (departing Lyttelton): 1350, 1420, 1450, 1550, 1650.

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Sailing: Christchurch SailGP to be world's largest-ever ticketed sailing event

• Harry Bartle

SailGP Christchurch is on track to become the world's largest-ever ticketed sailing event, with more than 22,000 fans expected to flock to Lyttelton Harbour for the race later this month.   

SailGP chief excutive Sir Russell Coutts, who says 15,000 tickets have already been sold, believes the event is one of the best on the competition's calendar, thanks to both the quality of the racecourse and the passionate Kiwi fans.  

"It's just a fantastic venue," he said. "You can set the facilities upright on the water's edge and the breeze generally aligns with the spectator viewing so in those terms it's a fantastic venue.  

"The sailors also really like it, there's not too much disturbance because the wind funnels through the Port Hills."   

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It's the second time Lyttelton has held a SailGP event after Canada won the inaugural race there in 2023.  

"It's great to bring an event like this to this part of the county," Sir Russell continued.   

"It's great to expose this race to a new audience and get them enthusiastic for it. And It's a great advertisement for New Zealand."  

The world champion Yachtsman has also heavily invested in improving the event in 2024, with extra entertainment lined up throughout the weekend.   

"This year we've got some exciting after-party activities planned. Dave Dobbyn is playing on Saturday and Shapeshifter on Sunday."   

New Zealand are currently jostling at the top of the leaderboard with three-time SailGP defending champions Australia.   

After failing to win on their home turf in 2023, the Kiwis will be hoping to flip the script when they return to Lyttelton. 

"I hope they [New Zealand] can pull it off, but the Aussies will be tough to beat," Sir Russell concluded. 

Tune into Three or ThreeNow for live, free-to-air coverage of all 12 SailGP events this season. 

Quality worth making room for

SailGP race to get independent decision-maker

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As tensions rose on Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour on March 19, the temperature was increasing in the race control room.

Foiling catamarans, known as F50s, capable of sailing up to 100kmh, were whizzing across the water in SailGP’s final, in front of thousands of fans.

While New Zealand and Canada zig-zagged towards the windward mark, with Australia’s boat trailing, two nationally vulnerable Upokohue/Hector’s dolphins were being tracked, heading towards the course.

Fuel contamination takes wind out of Auckland’s sails

Lack of data foils sailgp probe.

When they were too close – deemed to be within 300m of the boats – the marine mammal observer coordinator in the control room told the race controller, seated beside him, to instruct the boats to come off their foils.

After his direction was ignored, the Department of Conservation’s (DoC) Mahaanui operations manager Andy Thompson spoke up, and called out a second time, much louder, “that SailGP was breaching their marine mammal plan”.

The “industry-leading” plan was created to give SailGP the social licence to race on the harbour, part of the Horomaka/Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary, at a time when dolphin mothers with dependent calves were likely to be present.

The race’s advisers, Enviser, accepted vessel strikes were likely to be fatal, and therefore procedures were put in the plan to avoid the conflict of super-fast boats and inquisitive animals.

On that sun-drenched Sunday of the final, racing continued, and the dolphins continued outside the course. A subsequent DoC investigation crumbled when SailGP didn’t provide the GPS data to establish the boat’s location.

With the next race on Whakaraupō not scheduled until 2025, authorities thought they had plenty of time to review the race, and tidy up the plan to ensure there wasn’t a repeat of this year’s debacle.

That was, until the pin was pulled on next year’s race in Auckland.

On Wednesday, SailGP announced the yacht race would head back to Lyttelton next year.

Loren Aberhart, general manager of destination and attraction at Christchurch’s economic development agency, ChristchurchNZ – which is paying millions of dollars, in cash and in-kind, for the SailGP hosting rights – said the marine mammal management plan was being reviewed. “The protection of marine mammals, particularly the Hector’s dolphin, is paramount.”

But without concrete changes, was stronger protection for dolphins assured? Could a similar situation to March’s race happen again in 2024?

The Department of Conservation has confirmed to Newsroom there is at least one major change, which a dolphin expert thinks is a good idea.

Tweaks needed, says DoC

DoC’s Mahaanui operations manager Thompson – yes, the department’s representative in the control room on March 19 – says DoC provided feedback on the marine mammal management plan “to improve its effectiveness and ensure any risks to Upokohue/Hector’s dolphin are minimised”.

“While the existing plan provides a solid foundation and largely worked well during the event, we believe there are some tweaks that would make it more effective.”

The plan is being reviewed and updated, Thompson says, and details are being finalised. (DOC provides input to the plan but doesn’t have sign-off rights.)

“One of the major changes is the introduction of an independent decision maker who will be in the control room and will be able to stop the race if Upokohue are seen near the racecourse. 

“Our feedback is focused on amplifying the measures that worked well such as increasing the number of spotter boats on the water, removing measures that proved ineffective, and ensuring processes and responsibilities are clear.”

Thompson says organisers don’t need a permit or permission from the department to run the event.

“Alongside Te Hāpu o Ngāti Wheke Rāpaki, we met with SailGP and ChristchurchNZ to discuss the marine mammal management plan ahead of organisers making their decision.”

DoC sent a memo about the race to Conservation Minister Tama Potaka this week.

“It did not suggest changes to the rules of the Banks Peninsula marine mammal sanctuary, but noted DoC is in the early stages of work looking at whether changes aiming to increase protection for marine mammals during large events would be feasible and effective. 

“It will take time to do this analysis and if changes to the rules were to be progressed, it would require public consultation.”

There isn’t time to change rules before next year’s event, Thompson says.

“This is a terrible location for a yacht race like that.” Liz Slooten, marine biologist

Retired marine biologist Liz Slooten has been a harsh critic of the event, especially after its failure to follow its own management plan.

“That’s a good idea,” she says, when told of the introduction of an independent decision-maker to the SailGP race.

“Because last time, obviously, with various people shouting at each other and not reaching agreement, there’s a need for somebody independent in that room.”

Who the decision-maker is will be critical, she says.

“It needs to be somebody that’s actually, truly independent, and that has the right skills to make those kinds of calls, because it will be quite tricky; it’ll all be happening quickly.”

Slooten is adamant the best way to protect dolphins on Whakaraupō is to not hold the race in Lyttelton. The second-best way is to hold it in winter, when fewer dolphins are present.

“Anything else is window-dressing.”

She’d like to see more information about the management plan review, including a list of what the likes of DoC, SailGP and ChristchurchNZ thought worked well at the SailGP race this year, and what didn’t.

Slooten was astonished when she heard SailGP was returning to Lyttelton Harbour.

“I would have thought that they would never consider this location again because of what happened last time,” she says.

“This is a terrible location for a yacht race like that.”

From the information provided by SailGP and ChristchurchNZ on Wednesday, it was unclear what measures would be taken to better protect dolphins before next year’s race, held on March 23/24.

We asked SailGP:

• Has it agreed to a clearer, mandatory process for tracking dolphins? 
• Will it face consequences if, once again, it fails to stop the race, as requested?
• If the exact same circumstances of the 2023 race happened again next year, would there be a different outcome?

SailGP’s senior manager of marketing and communications for the New Zealand team, Natalie Fortier, says: “SailGP continues to work with its partners, including the Department of Conservation and Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Rāpaki, to build on the industry-leading marine mammal management plan delivered in season three.

“That includes working alongside these partners to review what worked well and what can be improved to ensure the plan remains fit for purpose for season four and beyond.”

Canterbury Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leeann Watson says an estimated 136 million people viewed this year’s SailGP race, globally, and there were 10,000 spectators at Naval Point, in Lyttelton, and another 4500 watched from the central city.

“Events like SailGP offer a great opportunity to put Christchurch back on the map and to showcase Lyttelton, and our new central city, and all they have to offer to the world.   

“Given the spending numbers last time, hosting SailGP next year may help to mitigate consumer demand concerns, and the effects of a slowing economy that are appearing right now.”

However, dolphin advocates like Slooten worry the decision to approve the race before strengthening the management plan is a case of “dollars over dolphins”.

Join the Conversation

Thank you, David Williams, for trying to keep some balance around the reporting of the Sail Grand Prix. Within the context of our ecological footprint and the way the Human Enterprise is exceeding the capacity of the planet to sustain life, it is really hard to understand the breathless enthusiasm for a machine like SailGDP. And that our institutions use OUR money to lure this type of behaviour into our communities, beggars belief. There are over 8 billion people on the planet and thus likely 8 billion different ways of trying to understand the Predicament, the collective mess we have got ourselves in. The Planetary Boundaries framework seems useful. SailGP really doesn’t help with us trying to not exceed any or all of the 9 boundaries. A Grand Prix in a sanctuary setup to try to prevent the extinction of a species is utter and complete madness. And creating a Marine Mammal Management Plan to mitigate risk? The name of the Plan speaks volumes and a reading of it, the fact that no-one wants to be responsible for outcomes, that it is not “owned” by any of our institutions tasked with protection? Why are the humans “managing” the dolphins in their sanctuary anyway? How hard would it be to simply stay away?

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Racing yacht runs aground at Lyttelton days before Sail GP regatta

A 12m racing yacht has beached in Lyttelton Harbour days before Christchurch hosts the glitzy international Sail GP regatta.

The Harbourmaster’s Office at Environment Canterbury said it was notified of a recreational vessel aground near Pāua-o-Hinekotau Head, west of Te Waipapa/Diamond Harbour on Wednesday evening.

“All five crew were rescued by the Coastguard and returned safely to Lyttelton [on Wednesday] night,” said Environment Canterbury’s regional on-scene commander, Emma Parr.

The racing yacht remains aground at the base of a cliff with difficult access by foot.

The yacht has 15 litres of diesel on board, in sealed tanks, but Parr says the risk of environmental damage from its grounding is low.

“Weather conditions are not favourable today, which means that a safe recovery attempt may not be possible prior to SailGP,” she said.

Around 22,000 people are expected to flock to Lyttelton over this weekend to watch the Sail GP event.

Lyttelton Port was closed overnight as a precaution due to the vessel being unsecured and the potential of floating debris.

“The yacht has remained in the same position but is significantly damaged. It is now secure via ropes to the shore,” she said.

Environment Canterbury says it’s monitoring the situation closely and working with the owner, insurers and salvors to collect debris as required.

“There may be loose debris under the surface of the water. We are asking the public to stay well clear of this operational area,” Parr said.

The international sailing competition set for Lyttelton Habour this weekend, SailGP , will still go ahead as planned.

The grounding comes after a clam fishing trawler ran aground on Waikuku Beach on Monday.

Maritime NZ sent investigations staff to the scene to start inquiries. The investigation into the grounding is ongoing.

The Herald understands the boat has since been moved back into the water without any damage.