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Just got back from SailGP in ChCh, damn that was awesome racing!

Well organised, course was so close to the grandstand, and watching a few of those 50's smoking into the finish is impressive!

Best yacht racing I've ever seen.

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Sounds great. Not having skytv available its been a blank from.my perspective. I normally watch every race but it's not on YouTube for nz. 

I'm keen to know how Lyttleton worked out as there was a restriction on numbers. Not sure if getting down there from NI would be worth 40 minutes racing each day?

 

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Was free to air on TV3. Can’t find it on their app though. 

57 minutes ago, Addem said:

Sounds great. Not having skytv available its been a blank from.my perspective. I normally watch every race but it's not on YouTube for nz. 

I'm keen to know how Lyttleton worked out as there was a restriction on numbers. Not sure if getting down there from NI would be worth 40 minutes racing each day?

 

 

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1 hour ago, Addem said:

Sounds great. Not having skytv available its been a blank from.my perspective. I normally watch every race but it's not on YouTube for nz. 

I'm keen to know how Lyttleton worked out as there was a restriction on numbers. Not sure if getting down there from NI would be worth 40 minutes racing each day?

 

I guess that's one way to look at it (the 40 each day bit) In reality it was a fantastic weekend, the racing was bloody amazing, and the race start at 3pm it made for a really relaxed fun time. Brunch in ChCh in the morning, wander down to the shuttle at about 1, cruise over to Lyttleton & pick up a glass of bubbles to prep for race 1! Racing over about 4.30, chat to a few yachties over a drink & back on the shuttle. Couldn't be easier.

Watching 9 boats piling into the start was pretty interesting, & then the finish line was about 100 metres from the grandstand, and the boats were headed straight for the crowd as they went thru the finish. It really is next level yachting entertainment. As for whether it's worth a trip to ChCh, I'm seriously thinking about going to San Fran for the final!

We'll definitely be going back if it's there again. 

 

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2 hours ago, Addem said:

Sounds great. Not having skytv available its been a blank from.my perspective. I normally watch every race but it's not on YouTube for nz. 

I'm keen to know how Lyttleton worked out as there was a restriction on numbers. Not sure if getting down there from NI would be worth 40 minutes racing each day?

 

I’ve watched every round, including Lyttelton, on YouTube- no adverts, full (slightly annoying) commentary but easy to watch. 

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1 hour ago, Rangi1 said:

I’ve watched every round, including Lyttelton, on YouTube- no adverts, full (slightly annoying) commentary but easy to watch. 

I only watched Saturday though- I have just heard it wasn’t on YT Sunday which if true is very weird. 

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48 minutes ago, Rangi1 said:

I only watched Saturday though- I have just heard it wasn’t on YT Sunday which if true is very weird. 

Still not on YT. They restrict it regionally to force you to get Sky (or not).  

 

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So. I just watched a highlights package of the final. Who thinks Phil R went out the boundary on.purpose to make sure he could lay the red pole? He's a very cunning guy. If was intentional it worked a treat. 

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11 hours ago, Rangi1 said:

I’ve watched every round, including Lyttelton, on YouTube- no adverts, full (slightly annoying) commentary but easy to watch. 

Did you use a VPN ? I Could not access on youtube 

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On 20/03/2023 at 7:56 PM, Addem said:

So. I just watched a highlights package of the final. Who thinks Phil R went out the boundary on.purpose to make sure he could lay the red pole? He's a very cunning guy. If was intentional it worked a treat. 

I'm not alone. MOZZY agrees with me. Both Aussies and Canada might have pushed the boundaries.  Good on em. 

 

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21 hours ago, ex Elly said:

The American commentator described Phil Robertson as the 'clutch' skipper. He also said that Canada were the clutch team.

And now Danny Lee has done a 'clutch putt'! 🤣 https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/golf/300834723/watch-danny-lee-holes-incredible-putt-for-63-million-win-on-liv-tour

Clutching at straws, perhaps?

Clutch is an adjective as well as a noun and a verb these days

image.png.4956882e14daebe08e27f2fe77e51118.png

Language evoloution and etymology is very wierd sometimes!

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Well as someone who flew down to experience what I fully expected to be the only time in Lyttelton, I have come away amazed - superb racing and great organisation, not sure how it could be replicated in Auckland . Grandstands along Westhaven carpark maybe? But there isnt as much room and how do you control people . Northhead good viewing and controllable access. Takapuna Beach nice long area but too shallow.

In short the organisers have learnt a great deal from F1 about shifting people (I hate queues) and it worked brilliantly along with the timing of the races, though they could have been a lap longer from this fellows perspective.

I would go back in a flash, and the hundreds of Auckland yachties I saw down there all agree, Christchurch is beautiful and clean, no potholes no rubbish, the Botanic gardens a picture , the restaurants welcoming and good value , not something I say lightly. Well done Christchurch and thanks for the heads up Viki.

  

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And to add as someone who was right on the course for the last AC-this smashes it for yachting quality and proximity. In fact if they are going to do a Netflix doco on yachting as per Drive to Survive, these are the guys for it . The AC rich boys are just too tedious and boring and one little race every 3 years no thanks. Whereas these teams are new exciting plenty of countries and events . If you saw Tuke with the ladies  and working with the public for hours after the final as did the other teams you can see and understand the popularity...

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We were on the water, courseside on both Saturday and Sunday. We had sailors on the boat ( a Young 11) who had been to the last AC in Auckland and said that the SailGP set up was far superior. The action just that much closer.  On Sunday we were anchored to leeward of the entry to the start box which meant we were very close to all the pre-start set-up and jostling. The speed, combined with the noise of the boats made for pretty exciting viewing. 

The event was very fortunate with the weather, although March is normally pretty settled ...in the last 24 hours we have have had average windspeeds on the habour well into the forty knot range...las time I checked the average was still in the high twentys.  It would have been good to see the entire fleet practice on the Friday also in a tad more breeze.

I thoroughly enjoyed the racing, although like others it is definitely an instant gratification event ( 30 mins approx total racing on Sat over three races). The fact that the racing is located within a marine mammal sanctuary places an unusual constraint on event management too, with considerable resource being put in to ensuring risks to the resident Hector's Dolphins are minimised. 

Much of the flow on benefits to the Lyttelton and wider Christchurch community are now being actively debated...

The publicly accessible near shore infrastructure such as launching ramps and adjoing jetties, commercial haulout, and breakwaters (wave attenuation) remains woeful... compared with similar infrastructure elsewhere in New Zealand harbourside cities.

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