Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Aletihad)
The UAE’s twin cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai have made ambitious moves ahead of the fifth season for the exciting Sail Grand Prix (SailGP) series. This became clear when the SailGP organisers announced its 2024-25 calendar of events, calling it the “most expansive” one.
Dubai appeared on the SailGP radar when it hosted a leg in the third season, while Abu Dhabi joined in the fray last year as the two Emirates formed the Middle East leg on the round-the-world itinerary for SailGP as the sixth and seventh stops respectively last season.
In the latest fixture map, Dubai will be where the proceedings start while Abu Dhabi will bring down the curtains, with sponsors Emirates Airline and Mubadala having dabbled the feet in the thrilling waters of the series. Abu Dhabi’s involvement also extends to sponsoring one of the teams – Brazil – through the Mubadala company.
New destinations and teams have been added on the schedule which will spill beyond the 365 days of the year as the season comprises 14 competitions on five continents. The series will kick off in Dubai on November 23-24 while the boats will dot the backwaters along side the Abu Dhabi Port region on November 29-30.
There will be new events in Brazil, Germany, Switzerland and Auckland, as well as a return to Great Britain and New York. The calendar released mentions a Middle East Grand Prix but the venue has not been confirmed yet.
SailGP Managing Director Andrew Thompson said this year’s calendar is another significant milestone in our continued expansion across the globe. With an expected 11 teams on the startline, SailGP will establish events in new, strategically important growth territories, while bolstering existing fan bases in some of our most-loved venues to date.”
The championship will head to the southern hemisphere for back-to-back events in New Zealand (January 18-19, 2025) and Australia (February 8-9, 2025). Auckland will make a debut on the global atlas of the tournament before it gets back to the familiar Sydney Harbour for a sixth visit to the city.
The series then heads to America, followed by Brazil and then the European schedule. The dates of November 7-8 have been reserved for the yet-unknown Middle East city before the grand finale in Abu Dhabi – with national pride, personal glory and the largest cash prize in the sport all on the line.
