Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Why has the Government pulled SailGP's funding?

I’ve tried very hard to understand the Government’s decision to essentially cancel SailGP in Auckland next year and I just can’t.

I cannot understand what has gone on here because, as I understand it, this has come down to a few hundred thousand dollars.

Kerre Woodham: Could SailGP have worked in Christchurch?

Environmental awareness and the risk of dolphin bothering seems to have been behind SailGP’s decision to withdraw its racing from Lyttelton next year and move the whole kit and caboodle to Auckland.

You may remember they looked at Auckland but there was inability to provide the kind of spectator stands that Russell Coutts wanted, So off to Lyttelton they went, with the caveat that you have to be mindful it's a dolphin sanctuary, and if the dolphins turn up then racing has to stop. Sure, fine, everybody agreed. Then back in March, the opening day of racing was called off due to a dolphin sighting on the course.

Kineta Knight: SailGP will not return to Lyttelton

SailGP has withdrawn its hosting agreement with ChristchurchNZ for the 2025 Season 5 event which was to be held again in Lyttelton.

The event was last held in Lyttelton in March this year when the first day was called off because a dolphin was sighted on the course. Two other dolphins were spotted in the harbour during the final race in 2023 but racing was allowed to continue.

Today’s announcement follows two iterations of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, as part of a four-year partnership with ChristchurchNZ, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and New Zealand Major Events.

NZCPR Newsletter: Activist Capture

Two weeks ago, the first day of racing of the Sail Grand Prix regatta in Lyttleton Harbour was cancelled due to the sighting of a Hector’s dolphin. That followed a practice day, where sailing was restricted to only 11 minutes. And on the final race day teams were again refused practice time.

The race area is a dolphin sanctuary and the race organisers had agreed to abide by the special protocols that were put in place.

However, world champion New Zealand yachtsman and SailGP Executive Director Sir Russell Coutts believes the restrictions were excessive and a symptom of a wider problem that New Zealand faces.

David Farrar: Dolphins vs SailGP

The Herald reports:

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon believes the cancellation of SailGP  racing in Lyttleton following dolphin sightings speaks to New Zealand's “obstruction economy” and its level of “red tape”.

However, he acknowledged SailGP organisers agreed to protocols concerning environmental protection and said a balance needed to be struck between running “world-class events” and protecting the environment.

Professor Robert MacCulloch: PM Luxon & Seymour forgot their own commitment to cost-benefit analysis

PM Luxon & Seymour forgot their own commitment to cost-benefit analysis when talking about the SailGP-Hector Dolphin Furore

A nice feature of NZ is that, in spite of our problems, whether they be homelessness, crime, or inflation, the fate of stranded whales or endangered Hector dolphins awakes our passions often more than tiresome political & economic debates.

Andrew Dickens: Let's put SailGP on at an appropriate venue and move on

I was not going to talk about dolphin-gate- but from first thing this morning, everyone was talking about it.

Sir Russell Coutts has had an epic meltdown over the cancellation of Saturday racing of his SailGP series.

He had to refund the spectator's tickets, which meant at least a third of his income went up in smoke.

Kerre Woodham: Blame the dolphin!

Interestingly, Marie has sent in a text immediately on the very thing I wanted to talk about. “Kerre what a third world, Banana Republic New Zealand has become. I was at the SailGP yesterday, the final thank God, not Saturday. It was simply amazing. New Zealand in the last six years has slipped into a pathetic nation of nothingness. Useless do-gooders stripping any opportunity to move forward in what could be one of the most incredible events on the water next to the Americas Cup. Yesterday was simply fantastic. Shame on us for being so short-sighted", says Marie.