The ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix takes place February 14 to 15, 2026, at Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, with 13 F50 catamaran teams racing at up to 50 knots across two days of SailGP Season 6 fleet racing.
Auckland bills itself as the City of Sails, and the claim holds up: more boats per capita than anywhere else on earth, a harbour that splits the city in two, and a sailing culture so embedded that school kids learn to race before they learn to drive. Rangitoto Island’s volcanic cone forms the backdrop to one of the most visually striking racecourses in world sailing.
The Hauraki Gulf delivers reliable sea breezes during February, typically from the northeast at 12-18 knots. The harbour is wide enough for the F50s to build speed on long legs but tight enough that spectators on the waterfront can see the boats up close as they blast past at 50 knots. The tidal flow through the harbour entrance adds a tactical dimension that rewards local knowledge, and the New Zealand team has it in abundance.
Racing starts at 14:00 NZDT (UTC+13) on both days. For Australian viewers, that puts the action at 11:00 AEDT in Sydney, a comfortable Saturday or Sunday morning slot. Back in London, the start converts to 01:00 overnight, making it a genuine test of devotion. New York sees 20:00 on Friday evening, one of the more accessible timeslots for the US audience across the entire Australasian swing. Tokyo gets 10:00 the following morning, a convenient daytime option for Japanese fans.
Peter Burling helms the Black Foils, New Zealand’s SailGP entry, bringing credentials that few sailors in history can match: Olympic gold in 2016, America’s Cup helmsman in 2017 and 2021, and a fierce competitor in every format he touches. Burling’s dual commitment to SailGP and the America’s Cup campaign (he also joins Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli for AC38) makes his schedule one of the most demanding in the sport.
The Valentine’s Day weekend slot gives this event a distinct atmosphere. Auckland’s waterfront bars and restaurants fill with sailing fans mixing sport with summer socialising. The harbour itself becomes a floating grandstand, with hundreds of private boats jostling for sightlines along the racecourse boundary.