SYDNEY, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Australia Sail Grand Prix will return to the iconic Sydney Harbour in December this year as the ninth event in the global championship's second season calendar.
The event will see eight teams - Denmark, France, Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, the United States and Australia as the host - race in identical 50-foot flying catamarans which produces incredibly close racing.
The event, scheduled from December 17 to 18, will feature five fleet races leading to a final podium race between the top three placed boats to determine the overall winner. Points are accumulated in each race throughout the season, culminating in a winner-takes-all grand final race between the highest-ranked teams for the Sail GP championship.
The racing, attracting more than 25,000 people this year, is also a great opportunity to boost the host's local economy. A total of 29 million Australian dollars (about 21.91 million U.S. dollars) was spent in relation to the 2020 Sydney event with a total economic impact of 26.6 million Australian dollars (about 20.10 million dollars).
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres of the state of New South Wales, where the host city locates, said such events will see participants and spectators flock to Sydney, delivering an economic boost to the city, and helping rejuvenate NSW's major events industry, following the crippling effects of COVID-19.
"Furthermore, the event enhances our city's reputation as Australia's premier sporting destination, once again showcasing Sydney on a global stage to prospective international visitors and sporting fans. In 2019, the inaugural SailGP season attracted a worldwide broadcast audience of 257 million across five events, as well as over 133,000 spectators."
After Sydney, Sail GP will head to New Zealand in January 2022, followed by San Francisco, which will host the Grand Final on March 26 and 27 and see the champion of season two. Enditem