SailGP announces updated schedule for the first half of its second season

The modified schedule has the opening events now set for the island of Bermuda on April 24 and 25, 2021 and the southern Italian city of Taranto on June 5 and 6, 2021.

LONDON—SailGP announced an updated schedule for the first half of its second season due to concerns about the coronavirus, with the San Francisco event now serving as the SailGP Season 2 Grand Final.

SailGP announced the new schedule on Nov. 23. This comes after SailGP postponed season 2 due to Covid-19. Opening events are now set for the island of Bermuda on April 24 and 25, 2021 and the southern Italian city of Taranto on June 5 and 6, 2021. San Francisco and New York were initially set to host the first events but the league shifted the schedule to ensure greater certainty and reduce travel in the early part of the year.

The Bermuda Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess will set the stage for an expanded season that is planned to feature nine events. The event in Taranto will be the first-ever Italy Grand Prix.

According to SailGP, due to the fact Bermuda has been largely shielded from the pandemic and the island’s successful health and safety measures, Bermuda is an ideal venue to restart SailGP’s global racing championship and host pre-season training.

Following the league’s restart in Bermuda, SailGP will shift to Europe – where four of its eight national teams are based – for a series of five grand prix events beginning in Taranto. Italy has long been one of the top sailing destinations in the world, and the southern coastal city will welcome SailGP for the first time.

“We’re incredibly pleased that our venue partner portfolio has expanded to include events in Bermuda and Italy,” SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said in a released statement. “Both venues should provide excellent conditions for our high speed, close-to-shore racing. This new schedule allows us to plan our first events of 2021 with more confidence while still retaining a U.S. event at the end of the season.”

As previously announced, the Great Britain Grand Prix Plymouth will then take place on July 17-18, followed by the ROCKWOOL Denmark Grand Prix Aarhus on August 20-21. Two additional European host cities will be announced with the remaining season schedule in early December.

The United States Grand Prix San Francisco will now serve as the SailGP Season 2 Grand Final, and is planned to take place in April 2022. The Grand Final features the top two teams in a $1 million winner-takes-all match race.

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