SPAIN SAIL GRAND PRIX | Andalucia-Cádiz Presented By NEAR

Just two weeks on from the thrills, spills and excitement of Saint-Tropez, the New Zealand SailGP Team is back in action, hitting the crystal waters of Cádiz, located in Spain’s southernmost region of Andalucia, for the Spain Sail Grand Prix presented by NEAR this weekend, 24-25 Sep CEST // 25-26 Sep NZT. New Zealand enters the weekend second on the Season 3 leaderboard overall, just one point behind reigning SailGP champions Australia.

Racing will take place from 1600-1730 each day CEST // 0200-0330 NZT, broadcast live on Sky Sport NZ and live and on-demand on YouTube. The first Sky replays are available at 10AM on Sun and Mon NZT.

The fourth and final stop of the European leg of the Season 3 championship, the Spain Sail Grand Prix marks just over halfway through the season, with only four events to go until New Zealand races on home waters for the first time ever in Ōtautahi, Christchurch next March. Since taking their first event win in Plymouth in July, the Kiwis have dominated on the water in Europe, earning a second consecutive win in Copenhagen and finishing second in France behind Jimmy Spithill's American crew.

The Spain Sail Grand Prix also marks an important milestone for the SailGP women’s pathway: one year since women first raced on F50s after SailGP implemented its new racing configuration in Cadiz in Season 2, in which each boat would increase from five members to six, with a female athlete racing in the role of ‘strategist,’ or helm assist. In light winds, crew member numbers also drop from six to four, with the female sailor remaining on the boat and taking up grinding duties. Women train in a range of capacities, with a view to eventually upskilling to be competitive in all positions on the F50. All three women in the New Zealand SailGP Team - Liv Mackay, Erica Dawson and Jo Aleh - will be on-site in Cadiz and have limited availability for media interviews.

SailGP’s action-packed Season 4 calendar was unveiled last week, announcing dates for the second New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, to take place in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in March 2024. Tickets to the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch are on sale to the public from 4 Oct 2022 at 9AM sharp.

© Scoop Media