Singapore gets ready for Grand Prix racing as SailGP comes to east coast park for the first time

SailGP announces debut event in Asia with Singapore Sail Grand Prix © SailGP

With a month to go before the most exciting racing on water makes its Singapore debut, organizers have announced a new ticketing category for the Singapore Sail Grand Prix - SailGP Beach Club - to ensure spectators get to enjoy the high speed, adrenaline-pumping races in a chic lounge setting right on the beachfront.

Located on the beach at Parkland Green, East Coast Park, spectators at the SailGP Beach Club can enjoy a completely new vibe to watch the battles on the water play out in front of them. With an unobstructed view, gazebo shading, dedicated screens, an all-inclusive food and drinks package and a live DJ, it is the ultimate place to experience the fast-paced action.

The Singapore Sail Grand Prix race weekend, Jan 14-15, will see nine international teams battle it out on identical high tech, hydrofoiling F50 catamarans at highway speeds (over 100km/h). Singapore will be the eighth leg of SailGP's eleven-stop global championship that includes iconic destinations such as Bermuda, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dubai, Sydney and San Francisco.

Fans who want to get even closer to the race action can also purchase the 'Bring Your Own Boat' package and get the best (and closest) views of the action. The package includes access to both race days, front row views near the finishing line, live race commentary over VHF, a souvenir flag, and beverage coupons to use after the race.

Other ticketing options to the two-day race weekend include Waterfront Access which offers entry to the official spectator area providing great views of the racecourse, along with a live TV broadcast on big screens and race commentary. All ticket options are in the heart of the SailGP Race Village which is also filled with SailGP merchandise booths, food and drink outlets, and activity stations.

Nine teams, seven races, one overall Sail Grand Prix Singapore title

Teams from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United States will compete for points in a series of fleet races held over two days. The three teams with the most points after the fleet races will then compete for the overall Sail Grand Prix Singapore title in the event final on Sunday, 15 January.

The racing fleet boasts of some of the most successful sailors in history including multiple Olympic medallists and World Champions The lineup for Singapore includes Great Britain's most successful Olympic sailor of all time Sir Ben Ainslie, fellow Olympic gold medallists Tom Slingsby (Australia) and Peter Burling (New Zealand) and U.S. sailing legend Jimmy Spithill.

SailGP is known for achieving gender equity at the highest level of the sport. Key to this was the launch of the Women's Pathway, two years ago, to fast-track women's training and development and realize an inclusive sporting championship where the best athletes have equal opportunity to compete together. The Pathway outlines that all teams must have a female athlete racing in both four and six person crew configurations.

As part of its mission to be the world's most purpose-driven and sustainable sport and leave a legacy at every venue it visits, SailGP will also deliver a Champions for Change event on the eve of the Singapore Sail Grand Prix.

Champions for Change is SailGP's exclusive thought leadership program that brings leaders and sustainability advocates together to talk about their approach to the climate crisis and share valuable learnings.

Speakers include SailGP's global director of purpose and Impact, Fiona Morgan, secretary general of One Ocean Foundation, Jan Pachner, and New Zealand SailGP Team co-CEO Blair Tuke - with the event being hosted by well known Singapore model and actor, Paul Foster.

Local schools sign up for SailGP's Inspire program

Local students will benefit from SailGP's dedicated community outreach youth program, which has inspired over 10,000 young minds across the globe since its inception. Over the course of the week, students from St Hilda's Primary School, Endeavour Primary School, Hwa Chong International School, Overseas Family School and the Singapore Sailing Federation will get the chance to learn about the sustainable side of the sport and get insight to the work SailGP is doing, as the first climate positive sport and entertainment property.

Overseas Family School, which runs a daily after school sailing program, has also partnered with SailGP Inspire as the Program's Official Education Supplier, helping to support the program and deliver bespoke activities in the Race Village for the public to enjoy.

Each school has been paired with a SailGP team, who they will get to meet during an exclusive behind the scenes tour. Attending students will also engage in activities which are linked to harnessing power from nature's key elements - wind, water, sun, and earth. They will learn to build wind turbines, challenge the concept of buoyancy, and be introduced to foundational sailing techniques.

As part of the Inspire Careers program, up to 25 local youth will have the chance to work and learn onsite, and 16 talented local sailors will be selected to join the Racing program and sail on the WASZP - a fast-paced hydro foiling dinghy. This program is aimed at providing a pathway from youth sailing to professional F50 racing and the winners in Singapore will get the chance to represent their country at the WASZP Grand Final in San Francisco. Winning a place in the Grand Final presents an opportunity for these young sailors to join one of the SailGP F50 teams and see what it takes to become a professional athlete.

Visit SailGP.com/Singapore for further details of all ticketing options and to purchase tickets.