In March LPC is excited to play its part in the global action-packed fleet racing event and has worked closely with SailGP and ChristchurchNZ.
Hannah Fyffe, LPC Project Manager said LPC fully supports the world-class event.
“Despite challenges hosting an event of this nature within a working port, we have been working hard to help the event go as smoothly as possible,” says Hannah.
Alongside Christchurch City Council, LPC has helped with hosting the event, providing land for the grandstand site, which is the main spectator area along the front of Naval Point and assisting with the delivery of two new pontoons which have been installed at Naval Point. LPC is also providing areas for off-water action, such as space for lifting the SailGP chase boats into the harbour from the wharves.
Karl Budge, Head of the New Zealand SailGP event says delivering Christchurch’s first major sailing event has been a real privilege for SailGP.
“Staging an international mega event in a busy, working port is no easy feat, and we’ve been enormously grateful for the support of Lyttelton Port Company along the way,” said Karl Budge.
“Thanks to the team’s collective efforts, the stage is set for a pretty amazing showcase on Whakaraupō, Lyttelton Harbour next month,” he added.
With the main race days on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 there will be plenty of activity in the harbour basin and changes to operations at the port.
No bulk cargo vessels will be berthed in the inner harbour from Wednesday March 15 to Tuesday March 21.
Hannah says no container ships will be moving on race days when there is action out on the racecourse a few hours before the race starts and then a few hours afterwards just to make sure that the water is clear.
“We’re going to shut down shipping during the middle of the day, over three days, so that they can safely host the sailing and get their exclusion zone set up, have the sailing event and then have everyone leave at the end of the day,” says Hannah.
In the week leading up to the event, the inner harbour will host SailGP support vessels, the NZ Police, NZ Customs, and the Royal New Zealand Navy HMNZS Manawanui.
Cruise ships will continue to berth over the SailGP weekend, with Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour seeing calls from the Pacific Encounter on Friday 17, and the Pacific Explorer on Sunday 19 tied up at Cashin Quay West.
After racing has finished on Sunday 19, port operations will begin to return to normal, but the inner harbour will not open until midnight the following Tuesday.