Western Australians affectionately refer to the billowing wind off the Indian Ocean as the Fremantle Doctor. As my travelling group of journalists walks into the premium section of SailGP’s season-opening event in Perth, the diagnosis is champagne, sunshine and flying boats.
We are immediately greeted by glasses of sparkling wine and led to a reserved table midway along a pier about 100m from the course’s bottom mark.
Food sporadically appears on trays: lobster buns, octopus, dumplings and vegan caviar.
The vibe is relentlessly dancey and upbeat. Pop music, both modern and nostalgic, gets my feet tapping and the crowd in a happy mood. Warm sunlight splashes onto my legs, and the doctor’s cool breeze will make for breakneck racing.
It is a stunning horizon. There’s not a cloud in the sky, just the white flecks of parachuting skydivers over the distant Rottnest Island.
Excitement builds as the boats sail out into the harbour for the crews to warm up. A helicopter equipped with a television camera whips past just metres above the surf, causing me to question whether it’s close enough to impact the catamarans’ clean air.
Unfortunately, news has broken that the Black Foils are out of the regatta after a collision with Switzerland on day one.
As one of the few Kiwis in the crowd, this is a devastating revelation. However, it does allow me to judge the event on pure entertainment value.
Racing gets underway, and the Fremantle Doctor is well and truly serving up its diagnosis. After jostling for position, the boats round the top mark at well over 90km/h.
F50 catamarans fly past less than 50m from our seats. We can see crew members scuttling back and forth over the netting – referred to as the trampoline – as the boats tack and jibe.
While the television coverage of SailGP is fantastic, watching live helps me to pick up on little side stories unfolding during each race. In the opener, I notice the Flying Roos boat temporarily taking flight in the distance before slamming back down on to the water.
As fleet racing continues, the sparkling wine evolves into beer. My blood-alcohol level coaxes me into a grin of enjoyment. Emirates Great Britain win the first two races of the day, but consistent Australian podiums keep the Perth crowd in a relaxed mood.
As the French, Aussies and Brits prepare to battle for the event title in the final, the finish line markers are shifted to our side of the course, just 50-odd metres away. Anticipation for the event’s climax noticeably increases, as we realise it’ll come to a head on our doorstep.
The finale delivers. Great Britain steam over the finish line in first place, triggering plumes of celebratory green smoke out of the red markers. The dogfight for second looks to be a dead heat between Australia and France, but the Flying Roos clinch it at the death, much to the elation of the Perth locals.
As the last of the drinks and delicacies are mopped up, I make my way down to the Bathers Beach, where the party continues. A DJ and big screen overlook the sand, which is decorated with a colourful smattering of tipsy fans. The technical term for such an occasion is a “beach doof”.
A Flying Roos marketing team moves through the crowd, rewarding the most enthusiastic dancers with hats and T-shirts. I am both proud and ashamed to admit I managed to win a Flying Roos T-shirt – but there’s little chance I’ll wear it out in public in New Zealand.
Nathan Limm was hosted by Tourism Western Australia.
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates on rugby and netball for Gold Sport.