We have just had proof, if it were ever needed, that SailGP is much more of a business, than it is a sporting event. Without any public explanation, the Coutts/Ellison circus has dropped Sydney as a venue for the 2027 season. 

The boats they race in are thirty-five-year-old Catalina 37s. Weighing in at around 7 tonnes, with dacron sails and symmetrical kites. They have a maximum speed of around 7 knots. The event is living proof that excitement in sailboat racing comes from tactics, personality and crew work, not speed and technology.

SailGP persisted and a series of rules were agreed (the Marine Mammal Protection Plan) that would allow the race but protect the dolphins. The most important rule was that racing must stop if dolphins were sighted in or near the racing area.