Production company will be host broadcaster for fourth consecutive year

World Sailing Championships Sunset+Vine

Sunset+Vine has been named as host broadcaster for the Sailing World Championships.

Taking place at The Hague, the Netherlands from10-20 August, the competition features over 1,200 boats and 1,400 sailors taking part in ten Olympic and four Para events. This year it has two new classes ahead of Paris 2024, iQFOiL Foiling Windsurfer and the Formula Kite Kiteboarding.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Sunset+Vine has been the host broadcaster, and it will be tasked with producing five days of live finals coverage, highlights, and news. The company’s rights and news teams will target Olympic rights holders and leading global broadcasters with this content.

The 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, and will include the use of a helicopter, two drones, on board cameras, 3D tracking animations and an ‘Attack RIB’ unit – which provides live multicamera ‘straight to social’ coverage from a boat on the race track out at sea. 

The 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. Meanwhile, American Chris Museler will be in the Pit Lane, Australian Nic Douglass on the Attack RIB and leading sailing commentator Niall Myant-Best [GBR] will be calling the action. 

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.”