Technological and sustainable innovations in action in Plymouth as Sir Ben Ainslie makes his SailGP debut on home waters
PLYMOUTH, GREAT BRITAIN – SailGP will take its biggest step forward in its ambition to be the most sustainable and purpose driven global sports league, with some of the most progressive technological and sustainable clean energy innovations in action at the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Plymouth next weekend (July 30-31).
Hosted in Britain’s Ocean City, home to the UK’s first National Marine Park, Plymouth’s stunning natural amphitheater will provide the perfect venue for the third event on SailGP’s global Season 3 calendar, as nine teams race not only on the water but for a better future powered by nature.
In partnership with Aggreko, the world-leading provider of mobile modular power, Plymouth will boast the largest solar array SailGP has ever used and will display bio-methanol fuel as an energy source at a live event within the UK for the first time in history. This will enable the entire race village to be 100 per cent powered by clean energy, whilst also supplementing wider energy across the site.
Aggreko will also continue to utilize other previously seen renewable energy technologies such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), which will be used to power the famous Trinity Pier and Clyde Quays where SailGP’s Technical Area is located, home to its world-class athletes and cutting-edge F50 race boats.
The Great Britain Sail Grand Prix will be the most sustainable on-water event ever with the largest number of electric solutions integrated across the race weekend through agreements with RS Electric, Evoy and Vita, as part of SailGP’s target to power its entire on-water fleet by clean energy by 2025.
The Inspire Program – SailGP’s community, education and outreach initiative – will showcase races run 100 per cent on clean energy for the first time ever, providing a glimpse into the racecourse of the future for the hydro-foiling F50s. This includes MarkSetBot, the world’s first robotic sailing marks, and support boats fitted with electric Epropulsion engines.
DRIFT Energy will also showcase a world-first technology of a foiling yacht that produces green hydrogen on board – leaving nothing behind but oxygen. The green hydrogen, having been produced entirely by the power of the wind, could in future form a tangible part of SailGP’s event and on-water clean energy strategy.
SailGP global director of purpose and impact Fiona Morgan said: “As we’ve seen Britain shatter its record for the highest temperature ever registered this week as a direct result of climate change, now more than ever all businesses, including sports organizations, need to act. It’s great to be back in Plymouth and collaborating with a wide range of key partners and suppliers to find innovative solutions to minimize our impact, focusing on clean energy. These are just a few steps in our ambition to be fully powered by nature by 2025, but it’s a real showcase of how we need to work together to tackle the climate emergency and every change makes a big difference.”
Out on Plymouth Sound, Sir Ben Ainslie will make his SailGP debut on home waters at the Grand Prix, hoping to lead his Great Britain team to a victory that would break the stranglehold Tom Slingsby and his Australia SailGP Team are developing on the competition. The two-time defending champion Australia has also claimed the first two events of Season 3, defeating Ainslie and the Phil Robertson-led Canada team in both finals.
In the lead up to the event Ainslie described Plymouth Sound as a challenging but great venue. “It ticks all the boxes, it can be baking hot with a light sea breeze or pouring rain and blowing 25 knots (29 mph), you just don’t know what you’re going to get. But you also don’t get many opportunities to race at home at this sort of level and it’s extra special to race in front of a home crowd,” Ainslie said.
On Sunday, July 31, The Duchess of Cambridge, Royal Patron of the 1851 Trust, will visit Plymouth and join a group of young people taking part in the Protect Our Future program by the 1851 Trust – the official charity of the Great Britain SailGP Team. Her Royal Highness will then get a taste of the incredible speed and skill involved in SailGP when she boards Ainslie’s British F50 and takes part in a friendly Commonwealth race against UN Patron of the Oceans, Lewis Pugh, who will race with Peter Burling and Blair Tuke’s New Zealand SailGP Team. The race will take place ahead of the three SailGP races on the final day of the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix and be commentated live from the Official Race Village.
On shore and on-water tickets are selling fast for what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend of racing. On shore, there will be an Official Race Village on Plymouth Hoe with live race commentary, official merchandise shop, local concessions and refreshments, stage and podium with athlete appearances. Adult tickets start from £6.75 and kids go free.
For a closer view of the action, SailGP has partnered with Plymouth Boat Trips offering the closest vantage point of the racing. Alternatively, fans can take their own boats out to watch the high-speed racing. Register your boat for free and receive all the race, tide and weather information as well as live commentary over VHF. Or purchase a premium boater flag to receive a SailGP welcome pack with official merchandise and an unrivalled viewing position at one of the turning gates.
Full details are available at SailGP.com/tickets. As part of the league’s purpose-agenda all tickets are ‘climate positive’ which means an amount is donated to impact activities that help reduce climate change wherever SailGP races. All registered boats will have the carbon footprint for the race day offset by SailGP.
Fans that can’t make it to Plymouth can catch all the action live on Sky Sports and YouTube from 2pm BST on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 July. For full details visit SailGP.com/watch
SailGP Great Britain Grand Prix Event Timings //
Race Village open 12.00pm-6.00pm Saturday and Sunday
Racing from 2.00pm-3.30pm Saturday and Sunday
MEDIA ACCREDITATION // All media are required to accredit for the event. Please apply via the media accreditation portal on the SailGP Media Hub – SailGP’s dedicated space for media to be able to cover SailGP events in-person and remotely. The media hub includes live race streams, Oracle Insight, press conferences participation and post-race athlete interviews. Access the SailGP Media Hub via mediahub.sailgp.com to accredit.
MEDIA PROGRAM //
Thursday, July 28 // Great Britain SailGP Team boat launch and media day // All nine F50’s sailing // Photo boats available
Friday, July 29 // Press Conference, 9.00 am with all nine world-class drivers at SailGP Race Village Media Center, The Hoe // Media Tech Base Tour, 10.30 am // Media Center open, 11.00 am – 7.00 pm // Official Practice Day, 2.00 – 3.30 pm // Photo & media boats available
Saturday, July 30 // Race Day 1, 2.00 – 3.30 pm // Media Center open, 11.00 am – 7.00 pm // Media Daily Briefing, 11.30 am // Mixed Zone for interviews after racing // Photo & media boats available
Sunday, July 31 // Race Day 2, 2.00 – 3.30 pm // Media Center open, 11.00 am – 7.00 pm // Media Daily Briefing, 11.30 am // Mixed Zone for interviews & Prize Giving after racing // Photo & media boats available
*All timings refer to local time at a venue
