Halifax has been selected as the first-ever city in Canada to host a Sail Grand Prix. The inaugural ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix will take place June 1-2, 2024.
Known as the most exciting racing on water, SailGP features the world’s best sailing athletes representing national teams from around the globe competing in high-speed, hydrofoiling F50s – capable of speeds of nearly 100 km/h – racing a stone’s-throw away from the shoreline.
For the first time in the league’s history, Canadian fans will get to witness ten world-class teams competing on Halifax Harbor, between George’s Island and the MacDonald Bridge. Fans will get to cheer on the home team Canada, driven by Phil Robertson, as they go head to head with 9 other national teams including Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.
Thousands of spectators are expected to line the Halifax waterfront to watch the high-speed action which will see the teams engaged in a fierce two-day competition, racing close to the shore, all vying for the ultimate victory. A range of grandstand and premium ticket options – including a bring your own boat program for boat owners – will be available when sales open in early 2024.
The first ever ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix is hosted by Sail Nova Scotia who led Halifax’s successful bid, as part of a process which secured interest from four other Canadian cities to host SailGP. The technical site for the ten high-performance teams will be located at King’s Wharf in Dartmouth, providing immediate access to the race course from ‘pit row’ for the athletes and shore crew.
SailGP CEO Russell Coutts said: “It is really exciting that we will add yet another new city to our Season 4 line-up and finally be able to have our first event in Canada. It’s something that we have been working on for a long time with the event stakeholders and we know in Halifax we have a really engaged audience. The venue is set up well for our stadium racing, allowing the fans to get a very close view of the action. I can’t think of a better stop for our first Canadian Sail Grand Prix and can’t wait to see the F50’s racing on Halifax Harbor.”
ROCKWOOL Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs, Mirella Vitale said: “North America is a very important market for ROCKWOOL and our commitment continues to grow. As such we are very pleased to be the title partner of this inaugural event in Canada, and look forward to delivering a successful first edition together with the local stakeholders and SailGP.”
Premier of Nova Scotia, Tim Houston said: “SailGP offers an exciting opportunity for Nova Scotia to showcase our ability to host major sailing events, as well as highlight our province’s sports, culture, and heritage to international audiences. We are thrilled to be the first Canadian jurisdiction to host this world-class event.”
Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Mike Savage said: “Halifax is honored to host this international event, the first SailGP event in Canada. Our rich history of water sports and sailing highlights us as a destination not only for tourism but for events on the global stage.”
Sail Nova Scotia President Eric Hill said: “The team at Sail Nova Scotia has worked for more than a year to secure this prominent global event and we are thrilled that it will be a reality in June 2024. It was made possible through the support of our partners Province of Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, Build Nova Scotia, Discover Halifax, and the Port of Halifax. We can’t wait to see the most exciting racing in our harbor and know it will inspire the sailors and non-sailors of today and tomorrow.”
