Add Sailing-Bigger and Faster, SailGP Back where it all Began In Sydney

Sailing-Bigger and Faster%2C SailGP Back where it all Began In Sydney.-.md

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+<br>By Nick Mulvenney<br>
+<br>SYDNEY, Feb 7 (Reuters) - SailGP returns to where all of it started in Sydney this weekend and 6 years on from the inaugural race, co-founder Russell Coutts sees a brilliant future for the ingenious international sailing league.<br>
+<br>An Olympic champion and  [lespoetesbizarres.free.fr](http://lespoetesbizarres.free.fr/fluxbb/profile.php?id=34862) skipper of 3 Americas Cup-winning boats, Coutts coordinated with Larry Ellison, the  of the Oracle software application business,  [kigalilife.co.rw](https://kigalilife.co.rw/author/monserraten/) to release the series with six teams all owned by the league.<br>
+<br>While the inaugural season which started in Sydney in February 2019 included simply 5 rounds, this weekend's race will be the third round of 13 the now 12-strong fleet will contest on the 2025-26 schedule.<br>
+<br>"It's just remarkable, really, the uptake and variety of events now," SailGP chief executive Coutts informed Reuters at the Sydney Opera House on Friday.<br>
+<br>"We're certainly sitting at 13, and aiming to increase that over the next seasons to someplace around 20. If you compare that to Formula One that has 24, that's sort of where we desire to get to. So yeah, the future looks great."<br>
+<br>The concept of Formula One on water is implicit in the league's name and the comparison is not far from the mark when the world's finest sailors press the F50 hindering catamarans to their limits at what are awesome speeds for waterborne vessels.<br>
+<br>"We didn't set out to simply appeal to the passionate sailing fan, we try to make this sport easy to understand and explainable for all sports fans," Coutts added.<br>
+<br>"Most of our fans are not avid sailors, and that's one of the reasons that we've grown so quickly. We are appealing to people that similar to viewing a race, they do not need to comprehend anything about sailboats."<br>
+<br>A bumper crowd of 25,000 ticketed fans turned out to enjoy Tom Slingsby's Australia team win the second round of the series in Auckland last month.<br>
+<br>"I believe you'll see numerous of our events this year now like that, perhaps even topping that," said Coutts, a 62-year-old New Zealander.<br>
+<br>"The most crucial thing is the fans enjoying on broadcast ... however the fan experience on site is likewise essential. We desire fans to come and have a good time and see some terrific racing."<br>
+<br>Technological development is important to SailGP and  [library.kemu.ac.ke](https://library.kemu.ac.ke/kemuwiki/index.php/User:SusanaNickle52) numerous countless information points are relayed from the boats to the Oracle Cloud for using race organisers, teams and to help broadcasters enhance the viewer experience.<br>
+<br>360 DEGREE VIEW<br>
+<br>Coutts is excited about some more developments coming online as Artificial Intelligence is increasingly used to overcome the mountain of data.<br>
+<br>"The huge development for us moving forward is the 360 degree view from on board the boat, with listening to the team comms," he said.<br>
+<br>"The viewer will be taken on board and ride in addition to the Australian group in a race, and be able to look around any place they desire. That's the future."<br>
+<br>There have, naturally, been challenges over the six years with the second season disrupted by the COVID pandemic and race days still sometimes at the grace of wind conditions.<br>
+<br>A lack of F50s meant the French group was not able to compete at this year's season-opening race in Dubai and damage to the boat once they got it ruled them out of the Auckland leg.<br>
+<br>The complete fleet of 12 boats will for that reason race for the very first time this weekend and among the most pleasing aspects for Coutts is that all but one of the groups are, or  [library.kemu.ac.ke](https://library.kemu.ac.ke/kemuwiki/index.php/User:NadiaIbarra407) quickly will be, independently owned or run.<br>
+<br>"These groups are now selling for $50 million, I would never have forecasted that this early on," said Coutts, who prepares to bring another number of teams on board next year.<br>
+<br>"We knew that that was the whole method the design was established, that group owners would be able to trade their teams and hopefully make cash out of it, but I didn't think we 'd attain it this early. That's been a good surprise." (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Michael Perry)<br>