Published August 6th, 2021
A South West leading event production company has successfully delivered the UK leg of international yacht race, SailGP, which was hosted in Plymouth for the first time.
Cornwall-based JHAV worked with SailGP’s UK event director and global team to design, organise, and manage the event, which took place on 17 and 18 July.
Known as the F1 of sailing, SailGP saw eight international teams from Australia, France, USA, Great Britain, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand, and Spain compete in front of more than 4,000 fans each day at Plymouth Hoe.
John Hibdige, JHAV’s production manager, said: “We’re well known for our AV services, though we also specialise in production and event management, tailoring our services to client’s needs. Our team provided a full event service for SailGP, and I’m really proud of the outcome.
“Plymouth Hoe is one of the world’s best natural amphitheatres for sailing, and it was great to be involved in one of the biggest outdoor events the city has held for a long time. We worked on the plan for six months, taking into account Covid restrictions to make sure there was enough space for social distancing so people would feel confident to attend.”
Helmed by Paul Goodison, who was temporarily standing in for Sir Ben Ainslie while he was away welcoming his new baby son, Great Britain finished fourth over the weekend, while Australia were crowned champions of the UK event. Racing was broadcast to 175 territories, and watched by 45 million people worldwide.
Along the seafront, JHAV installed a 1km public address system to relay the commentary and to make safety announcements. It was the largest PA system the team has deployed as one setup, and involved working overnight to minimise disruption to the public for the install and de-rig.
JHAV also managed the design and production of the ticketed fan zone for spectators – creating an enhanced viewing experience showing camera footage from the boats on large LED screens, activation for sponsors, and onsite hospitality including bars and food traders.
John continued: “SailGP has strong sustainability credentials, which we supported throughout the project, including facilitating Aggreko installing a solar installation on Plymouth Hoe. This was used to power a large portion of the fan zone for the weekend.”
The team managed all onsite infrastructure including fencing, staging, furniture, marquees and more, as well as supplying AV staff to work with E360, the SailGP TV production company, on the delivery of the event TV content including live audio and camera footage.
For more information about JHAV, visit jhav.co.uk.
