Known for its crowd-pleasing F50 catamarans reaching speeds of over 100 km/h, SailGP will organise 13 international competitions next year with Hong Kong hosting the season opener with the famed Victoria Harbour as the contest’s backdrop. 

SailGP’s maiden Hong Kong tournament is taking place as the city is simultaneously strengthening its maritime identity following last October’s policy address to promote boat tourism and major sporting events. 

In an effort to build its visitor offering after nearly 50 million tourists came to Hong Kong last year, lawmakers have outlined opportunities to capture a growing share of a global yacht market projected to reach $45 billion by 2032, fuelled in part by rising demand across the Asia-Pacific region.

The financial hub has already earmarked HK$30 billion (US$4 billion) to expand its nautical facilities, signalling a serious commitment to positioning itself as a premier boating destination in the manner of Monaco. 

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That investment comes as the city is also planning to introduce mutual yacht recognition for GBA-registered vessels in a development experts say will open new maritime frontiers and support fluid vessel movement between the SARs of Hong Kong and Macao with mainland China, all within the Greater Bay Area framework.

Speaking to The Bay, Eduardo Buisson Loureiro, a Macao based lawyer and international arbitrator who specialises in manufacturing and yacht registration, suggested that boats could follow a “dual flag” system, allowing owners to register in Hong Kong for legal and tax benefits while displaying a secondary flag to expand operational flexibility, emulating the cross-border scheme for private cars. 

The Hong Kong Sail Grand Prix is scheduled for 23-24 January 2027.