Organisers announced on Wednesday that Rio de Janeiro was preparing to host the 'SailGP Brazil debut' in April. The event is expected to attract tens of thousands to one city's most famous beaches, after it was cancelled due to equipment problems a year ago.

"We hope that everyone will go to the beach to watch the race." "We're talking about world-class sailing, something that has never been done in Brazil, and it was designed with the spectators in mind," said Alan Adler. He is the CEO of Mubadala Brazil SailGP and the head of IMM, the company that organised the event in Rio.

SailGP cancelled last year's Rio event, scheduled for May, after discovering a defect with select wingsails of the F50 fleet. This issue was discovered after the Australian boat’s wing collapsed in San Francisco. Further testing and analysis were conducted.

Rio's fourth event of the season will take place from April 11-12 in Guanabara bay, with Sugarloaf Mountain as the backdrop.

The organisers expect a full grandstand on both days. A much larger crowd is expected to gather at the beach to watch.

The Brazilian boat competes in the league for a second time and is helmed Martine Grael. She is a two-time Olympic champion in sailing who won her gold in Rio waters in 2016. She is the only woman to lead a SailGP boat.

The United States team led by Taylor Canfield won the Sydney race earlier this month. It was their first win since October 2023. The defending champions, Britain, lead the standings on 28 points. Australia and the American squad are next.

New Zealand will not be competing in the 'Brazilian event due to an accident that occurred between their boat and the French crew during the Auckland race. France will race 'in Rio' after missing Sydney.

SailGP is a competition that features high-speed races in identical F50 catamarans, capable of exceeding 60 mph (100 kph). The league pits teams of national sailors against one another in a series regattas at famous locations around the world. (Additional reporting from Angelica Medina, Mexico City Editing By Toby Davis).

(source: Reuters)