Tauranga Mayoral Candidate Mahé Drysdale announced his interest in hosting a future Sail GP event on the beautiful Tauranga-Moana harbour.

“Obviously, the New Zealand Sail-GP team been busy winning in New York. But I will be catching up with Tauranga-born Kiwi driver Peter Burling to get his well-informed thoughts.

“If elected Mayor, I will speak with Sail-GP boss Sir Russell Coutts to explore the possibility of hosting the event in Tauranga harbour.

“The natural amphitheatre of Pilot Bay, Sulphur Point and Fergusson Park would be great places for stands. And the stunning back drop of the Mount would provide a superb image of New Zealand around the world.

“This is just an idea - but with good teamwork and a clear focus we can develop a plan.

“The feasibility of this event will need to be carefully studied. But we should build on our reputation for hosting fantastic events like the AIMS Games, the Black Clash and international cricket.

“As Mayor, I would assemble an event team to make the bid and run the event for the City.

“The event feasibility study would require input from Port of Tauranga, the BOP Regional Council Harbourmaster, local iwi, Tauranga Yacht Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and economic development agencies.

“We have a considerable investment into our city amenities underway, which we need to activate by bringing the focus to our city and its fantastic harbour.

“The economic impact for the city would be significant, last year’s Sail-GP event in Christchurch was estimated to have a total economic impact of NZD $13.9 million for the host city regional economy.

“The event comes at a cost, so I would speak with Major Events Minister Hon Melissa Lee and her team to understand their appetite to support retaining the event for New Zealand.”

Currently the event’s New Zealand host city is unclear. The Government has committed a multi-year investment of $5.4 million across four years (2023 to 2026) from the Major Events Fund to support Sail-GP events in New Zealand.

“Under my leadership, I want to make Tauranga New Zealand’s best small city - and a major destination for tourism and sports.”

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