Get ready – the SailGP Great Britain Sail Grand Prix will take place on Plymouth Sound on 17 and 18 July! Here’s everything you need to know…

About the event

SailGP is of the world’s most impressive sailing events, with adrenaline-filled racing between eight competing nations promising high-speeds, high-tech and high drama.

The competing teams are:

• Great Britain
• Australia
• Spain
• Denmark
• Japan
• United States
• France
• New Zealand

The Championship is made up of nine events which take place at locations across the world, with each event including multiple races. The Plymouth event is the third in the global league’s second season – previous events have taken place in Bermuda and Taranto, Italy.

Teams race on F50 catamarans, which have a predicted top speed of over 60mph! 

When does the racing take place?

There are three races each day. Racing will place between 2pm and 3.30pm on Saturday 17 July and between 2.30pm and 4pm on Sunday 18 July. SailGP fleet races last approximately 15 minutes each.

How to watch

SailGP has a spectator area on Plymouth Hoe that will be run following Covid-19 safety guidelines, but tickets for this have now sold out. 

Outside of the official event, we know that lots of people will want to watch the action taking place on the water. A number of roads, including Hoe Road and Madeira Road, will be closed along the waterfront to create more space for people to spread out and watch safely.

There will be a limit on the number of people allowed to view the race from Mount Batten pier to avoid overcrowding, and traffic will also be monitored at Jennycliff.

Staying safe

Everyone should remember to follow the ‘hands, face, space’ guidance, and is encouraged to spread out. There’s a PA system along Plymouth Hoe from Dutton’s to The Waterfront pub so you can hear race commentary all across the waterfront.

There will be additional toilets and handwashing facilities at key locations, so remember to wash your hands regularly or use hand sanitiser.

There will also be Covid marshalls on patrol along Hoe Road, Madeira Road, Mount Batten and Jennycliff to make sure everyone feels safe while they are out and about, as well as reminders over the PA to stick to COVID safety measures and signage to remind people about keeping their distance.

Travel information

If you can, we recommend walking or travelling by bike to make your journey as environmentally friendly as you can!

All three park and ride sites in Plymouth will be running during both days, so you can park for free and take the bus.

There are plenty of car parks in Plymouth. For disabled parking, there are 80 disabled parking spaces on Plymouth Hoe available on a first come, first served basis. 

Find more about how to get to Plymouth.

Plymouth is easily accessible by train with a wide range of services running from a variety of locations within England. Although some services may require a change or two.

Travelling from London takes around 3 hours with Great Western Railway, if you're coming from the north, the trip from Manchester can take 5 hours 15 minutes. 

Alternatively, the recently renovated Night Riviera Sleeper service runs Monday – Friday and Sunday evenings. Visit gwr.com/sleeper for more details on times and how to book.

We recommend using GWR.com to search for the fastest and best route for your journey, and book in advance for the best price.