SailGP returns to Christchurch with opportunities for youth to get involved.
At Alvarium we care about building a healthier future for our communities, and our sponsorship with SailGP continues to provide inspiration about all the ways sport can bring real change for good.
When SailGP returns to Christchurch on 23-24 March, along with world-class sailing it will include a range of community initiatives as part of its award-winning SailGP Inspire programme. Inspire is SailGP’s community, education and outreach arm. Inspire has engaged nearly 19,000 young people around the world to date. The inaugural event in Christchurch demonstrated the impact of the programme locally, with 665 young people from across the Canterbury region taking part.
The programme has three pillars: Learning, Racing and Careers, and New Zealand event organisers are looking for prospective interns and aspiring youth sailors to get involved in March. This year, even more interns will be matched with SailGP sailing teams and other roles for a week of work experience. Inspire Career placements are designed to showcase a variety of pathways within the sailing industry, targeting a 50/50 female to male participant ratio, while also broadening exposure to diverse communities. Applications are now open at SailGP.com/Inspire, closing 24 February 2024. Candidates must be 18 years old or older.
Youth sailors and wing foilers are also encouraged to apply for SailGP Inspire Racing, which includes three classes: RS Feva, WASZP, and Armstrong wing foiling. Selected athletes will compete on the F50 racecourse directly in front of home crowds. Canterbury Yacht Clubs will also be in on the action, with local clubs and water sport groups paired with one of SailGP’s ten national team as part of SailGP’s “adopt-a-club” initiative.
And finally, Inspire Learning will engage students aged 9-15 years old from selected Christchurch schools in a series of hands-on STEM-based learning activities and challenges at the SailGP Tech Site at Naval Point.
SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “SailGP’s return to Christchurch will be bigger and better, with more fans, more teams and more opportunities for the local community to get involved. New Zealand is one of SailGP’s most engaged markets and we’d encourage young New Zealanders to get involved again this year.”
The ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch is delivered in partnership with host partners ChristchurchNZ and New Zealand Major Events, Title Partner ITM, and event partners Alvarium, Rodd & Gunn and Heineken.
As Alvarium co-owner Brett Gamble says, “We care deeply about building a healthier future and admire how SailGP is using sport as a catalyst to shift attitudes and behaviour around environmental and social issues alike.”
ChristchurchNZ Head of Major Events Karena Finnie said: “SailGP’s Inspire Programme is a great example of a legacy outcome that we look for when supporting major events in Ōtautahi. The level of community engagement is incredible and even more impactful when our tamariki and young adults can get involved. Some of our favourite moments from last year’s event came from the Inspire Programme and so it is exciting that there are even more opportunities available in Season 4. I’d encourage all who are interested to apply.”
The Christchurch event will transform Naval Point into a vibrant race stadium, hosting around 22,000 spectators across the weekend. A handful of tickets remain for both days (23-24 March 2024), available on Ticketek.co.nz.
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ABOUT SAILGP | SailGP is a global championship that features national teams battling in short, intense races at iconic stadium-style venues across the globe. The high-tech, high-speed action features sailing’s best athletes racing in identical hydro foiling F50 catamarans, flying at speeds approaching 100 km/h. SailGP also races for a better future, championing a world powered by nature. Visit SailGP.com for more information.
