Live drones, a helicopter and direct-to-social included as Sunset+Vine retains host broadcast deal for the Sailing World Championships

Sunset+Vine has been re-appointed as host broadcaster for The Sailing World Championships.

World Sailing’s biggest international event is 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.

It will take place in The Hague, the Netherlands from 10 to 20 August 2023.

The championships will include two new classes for Paris 2024 – the iQFOiL Foiling Windsurfer and the Formula Kite Kiteboarding.

Production of the event will include five days of live world feed plus highlights, social media content and news with Sunset+Vine’s rights and news teams targeting Olympic rights holders and leading global broadcasters.

The production will be split over two venues and more than 50sqkm of field of play in the waters off Scheveningen, the waterfront resort of The Hague.

Sunset+Vine will deploy a crew of around 60 people that will include sailing experts and wildlife award winners with specialist cameras.

The coverage will involve the use of a helicopter, two drones (including a first-person view drone), onboard cameras, 3D tracking animations and an ‘Attack RIB’ unit – an addition 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 British double Olympic Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson supported by Olympic Gold Medallist Xu Lijia from China 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.

Discussing the deal, Andrew Preece, executive director at Sunset+Vine, said: “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.”

Scott Dougal, director of communications and digital at World Sailing, added: “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.”

This is the fourth consecutive occasion that Sunset+Vine has been awarded the quadrennial contract.