Halifax Harbour turns into racecourse: Thousands flock to see SailGP

Thousands of people took in SailGP races in the Halifax Harbour over the weekend.

Thousands of people took in SailGP in the Halifax Harbour this weekend, in a race that came down to the wire on Sunday.

“SailGP is Grand Prix racing on water,” says Andy Thompson, the managing director for SailGP. “These are high-tech, super fast, foiling catamarans; they’re foiling above the water. It’s short-course, stadium racing, for the fans here on the shoreline.”

It’s hosted in places across the world, like Rio de Janeiro, Bermuda and New York.

But Halifax is starting to make a name for itself after hosting a successful event in 2024 – the first time in Canada – and an encore this year.

“This is a fan-favorite destination on the calendar,” Thompson says. “Halifax ticks all those boxes, and the Canadian crowd out here – you can hear them now – are really pumped for the team.”

Indeed, the fans were eager to take in the action Sunday after organizers adjusted the race schedule to better align with the weather forecast.

“You have to see it in person,” says David Schauer, visiting from Toronto. “It’s quite something to see the boats go so fast, it’s fun.”

“We were here a couple of years ago,” says Nova Scotia native Lindsay Lethbridge. “Lots of fun, really interesting to see and a great event for the city.”

“We live in the US,” says Mike DeLong. “So, it gave us a chance to come back here and visit family and check out a cool event.”

Nelson Mahmoudi, of Thunder Bay, ON, may not have been in attendance in 2024, but that event caught his attention.

“The beautiful city of Halifax called my name when SailGP announced they were coming back,” he says. “It was the Halifax Sail Grand Prix that really got me into it, and I’m so happy to be able to celebrate this beautiful sport in this beautiful city.”

• IN PICTURES: SailGP 2026

According to SailGP’s projections, they estimate this year’s event will generate about $60 million in economic impact for the region.

On the water, the F50 catamarans reached speeds of around 75 kilometres per hour, making sharp turns and keeping fans on their feet.

Despite doing the hometown crowd proud on Sunday, Canada’s NorthStar SailGP team finished 7th out of 13.

The race moved to a four-boat, winner-takes-all final for the first time, which came down to a neck-and-neck finish.

In the end, Spain finished first.

SailGP returns to Halifax for a third time next year.

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