KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix - 12 Boat Fleet Makes History
by SailGP 7 Feb 03:38 GMT
7-8 February 2025
Trans-Tasman rivals - Pete Burling NZL and Tom Slingsby AUS © Bob Martin for SailGP
Anticipation is building with just one day remaining until the most exciting race on water, the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix, takes place on the picturesque waters of the iconic Sydney Harbour for a record sixth time.
For the first time in SailGP history, 12 national teams are expected to battle it out – marking the largest fleet to date. After sitting out of Dubai and Auckland, the France SailGP Team will join the fleet for practice racing and final testing this afternoon ahead of final approvals to race tomorrow.
Talking about his return to home waters, Australia SailGP Team CEO and Driver, Tom Slingsby said: “It’s amazing to be back. The weather has been unbelievable since we’ve been here and the forecast is looking great. Everything is lining up well and it’s great to have the French team back in the line up.”
“Racing with 12 boats, we haven’t done that before and, for me, every time we come back to Sydney, it’s a reminder of how much SailGP has grown over the years. When we first started, we had half as many boats and a third as many events and now to see where we are as a league is pretty impressive.”
Commenting on his team’s expected return, French driver Quentin Delappierre said, “It’s fantastic to be back. Sydney is iconic, it’s always great racing, great wind around Shark Island and it’s something special.”
The Flying Roo’s Natasha Bryant is also looking forward to SaiGP’s race at home. “I am really excited for Sydney Harbour. We really thrive in the big breeze and hectic conditions.”
“Coming from Auckland with 11 boats in such a small area - it was absolute chaos. Sydney feels like one of the bigger courses on the circuit. The reach to Mark 1 is insane, you can probably reach out and touch the boats. 12 boats around the racecourse should be a lot of fun!”
After securing its first victory of the season in Auckland last month, the Australia SailGP Team goes into Sydney in third place on the 2025 Rolex SailGP Championship leaderboard behind New Zealand SailGP Team in second place, tied on points with Emirates GBR who lead the Championship in the top spot.
The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney gets underway at 4pm AEDT tomorrow, Saturday February 8, and can be seen on Fox Sports, Kayo Freebies and the free-to-air partnership with SBS (Special Broadcasting Service). For details on how to watch around the globe visit SailGP.com/watch. For fans in Sydney, limited tickets are still available to have a seat in the middle of the action. Head to SailGP.com/Sydney for more information and to secure a ticket.