Sunset+Vine Sailing World Champs host broadcaster
July 25, 2023
Sports production and media company Sunset+Vine has been appointed host broadcaster for World Sailing’s premier event, The Allianz Sailing World Championships, to take place in The Hague, the Netherlands from August 10th to 20th 2023. It is the fourth consecutive occasion that Sunset+Vine has been awarded the quadrennial contract.
The event is World Sailing’s biggest international event and a major qualifier for the Paris Olympics 2024, with more than 1,200 boats and 1,400 sailors expected to take part in ten Olympic and four Para events. The championships will include two new classes for Paris 2024 – the iQFOiL Foiling Windsurfer and the Formula Kite Kiteboarding.
Production of the event includes five days of live finals coverage, highlights, and news with Sunset+Vine’s rights and news teams targeting Olympic rights holders and leading global broadcasters. This expansive production is split over two venues and more than 50sqkm of field of play in the waters off Scheveningen, the waterfront resort of The Hague.
The coverage will involve the use of a helicopter, two drones, on board cameras, 3D tracking animations and an ‘Attack RIB’ unit – innovative technology that will provide live multicamera ‘straight to social’ coverage from a boat on the race track out at sea.
The multinational presentation team will be led by double Olympic Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson [GBR] supported by Olympic Gold Medallist Xu Lijia [CHN] at the Para venue, American Chris Museler in the Pit Lane, Australian Nic Douglass from the Attack RIB and leading sailing commentator Niall Myant-Best [GBR].
Andrew Preece, Executive Director at Sunset+Vine, commented: “Creatively we have assembled a formidable team with some new faces both behind and in front of the camera. Our mission has been to provide reliable and authoritative coverage whilst introducing innovations that we think will make a real difference on screen be it broadcast or social.”
Sarsfield Brolly, Head of Media Partnerships at Sunset+Vine, added: “This is our fourth Sailing World Championships and on each occasion we have increased our broadcaster and digital channel commitment. This time we have created a new modular Medal Race format that will allow broadcasters with a specific athlete interest to broadcast specific races that are relevant to their audiences. And we are building an exciting portfolio of global broadcast rights holders.”
Scott Dougal, Director of Communications and Digital at World Sailing, said: “Sunset + Vine’s long experience in sailing made them the natural choice for the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships. And, as much as their knowledge and expertise is essential, it is their passion for our sport, and their commitment to doing the best job possible for sailing which has really impressed.”