ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland

Few places on earth take sailing as seriously as Auckland. When the America's Cup came to Auckland in 2021, hundreds of thousands flooded the waterfront, treating foiling catamarans like a second All Blacks. SailGP’s Season 5 debut tapped into that same energy, drawing record crowds to Waitematā Harbour and debuting those new titanium T-foils that have since transformed the fleet.

The venue itself is a tactical puzzle. Expect conditions around 15 knots – a step down from Perth's intensity, but fast enough to reward clean execution. The breeze shifts unpredictably off the city skyline and North Shore, served up on short, steep harbour chop that catches out any lapse in flight control. Well-drilled teams tend to look comfortable here; anyone still finding their feet after Perth may find less room to recover.

For Peter Burling's Black Foils, this is simultaneously the best and worst venue on the calendar – the home support is immense, but so is the weight of expectation. Australia pinched the win here in Season 5. The Kiwis will be hungry to settle that score on home water.

Past winners: Australia (Season 5)