Edinburgh Marina
Edinburgh Council excited about the Edinburgh Marina bid to host SailGP event
[London: 12 March 2020] Edinburgh City Council has today resolved to lend its support to Edinburgh Marina’s bid to host the prestigious SailGP event in 2021.
SailGP is an annual, global racing championship, which presents the fastest, most competitive inshore stadium racing in an unrivalled atmosphere at some of the world’s most iconic harbours. The spectacular fan experience is available in venue, on the water, on air, through an award-wining app and year-round through digital channels.
Cllr Jim Campbell explained: “I am delighted that over the last two or three years, significant progress has been made, both in terms of the council’s ambition for the Granton waterfront and also in terms of other redevelopment that we hope has started and will continue in the area. It is a hugely exciting prospect for the City.
I am excited at the prospect of a yachting race taking place on the shores of our Forth. It is a setting that is world-class and is a setting that could potentially generate a great deal of interest and activity in the city. It’s an area of the City that doesn’t always get huge numbers of visitors…The racing is fast, and close to shore, attracting considerable interest when held in other cities such as Sydney, San Francisco, New York, Marseille, Cowes and Copenhagen.”
Cllr Callum Laidlaw reiterated: “Edinburgh has long turned its back on the waterfront and that seems to be changing, and I think that bringing SailGP to Granton would really emphasise all the work that is going on with the waterfront district, with the marina development – I think it creates a great spectacle, attracts visitors and supports all the local sailing clubs.”
Lord Provost added: “I am fully supportive of bringing major events to the City, it is an absolutely fantastic idea and I would get behind it personally.”
Charles Price, a spokesperson for the developer: “I am delighted that Edinburgh Council is supportive of our bid to host this exciting new major sailing event.”
The state-of-the-art £500 million Edinburgh Marina development is the centrepiece of Edinburgh City Council’s £1.3 billion, recently announced, Edinburgh Waterfront Framework, which received the go-ahead last week. The Edinburgh Marina Development includes a world-class marina comprising 427 full-serviced berths with 24/7 access at all states of tide, over 600 new homes for sale, including Royal Wharf Retirement Living and The Moorings which overlooks the new Edinburgh Marina, the Hyatt Regency Spa and Conference hotel and serviced apartments, medical hub and neighbourhood shopping
