Fremantle is preparing to host its most significant sailing spectacle since the iconic 1987 America's Cup, with the high-octane SailGP championship set to hit Western Australian waters next month.
Hollywood Glamour Meets High-Speed Racing
The event, scheduled for January 17-18, 2025, will see teams from 13 nations battle it out in cutting-edge 50-foot foiling catamarans off Bather's Beach in Fremantle. These high-tech vessels regularly reach speeds exceeding 100 kilometres per hour, transforming sailing into an extreme sport.
Adding a dose of star power, the Australian team, known as the Flying Roos, is co-owned by Olympic gold medallist and driver Tom Slingsby alongside Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Slingsby expressed hope that the actors would bring their tinseltown shine to the Fremantle event, noting recent discussions with Jackman about attending.
The championship is a global series with legs in major cities like New York, Saint-Tropez, and Sydney, attracting an estimated 21.1 million viewers and offering close to $20 million in total prize money. The Perth stop will kick off the sixth season of the competition.
Fremantle Doctor Set to Deliver Ultimate Test
Tom Slingsby highlighted that the Fremantle venue, famous for its strong 'Fremantle Doctor' afternoon breeze, could push the teams to their absolute limits. "This venue has the ability to put us right at our upper limit of conditions," Slingsby said at the launch event on Wednesday.
He explained the unique challenge: "When the waves get big we're on hydrofoils which sit about a metre out of the water. If the waves are bigger than a metre, which they can get here, it becomes a bit of carnage." This revolution in hydrofoiling technology has completely changed the sport, making it an action-packed, adrenaline-fuelled spectacle perfect for shore-based fans.
A waterfront grandstand is currently under construction at Bather's Beach to accommodate spectators, with the band Sneaky Sound System booked to perform. Organisers are anticipating crowds of up to 15,000 people.
Local Icons and a Burning Ambition
The launch also featured retired West Coast Eagles ruckman and self-described "big fan" Nic Naitanui. He praised the sport's intensity and admitted to being "fearful" of the speeds the catamarans might achieve with the Fremantle Doctor in full force.
The Australian team heads into its home event with a point to prove. The Flying Roos, who have won three of the five SailGP seasons and finished second in the other two, are smarting from a narrow defeat to Great Britain in the 2025 final in Abu Dhabi just days ago. Slingsby described the loss, where they led in the final race, as "heartbreaking" and "pretty tough," but said it has fired up the team for a strong start to Season Six in January.
The event is locked in for Fremantle as part of a three-year deal, with a confirmed return in 2027 and 2028. A range of ticketed viewing options, both on land and on the water, will be announced in the coming months.
