The 2008-09 event has taken some of the lessons from in-port racing in 2005-06 and will attempt to bring the action to the spectators without compromising the racing itself. The courses for 2008-09 will be windward-leeward, with a mid-course gate and triangular viewing area.
This will provide flexibility of starting and/or finishing in the middle of the course. The bottom mark will also be a gate giving the yachts a choice of either mark to round for the next lap.
Each leg will be two nautical miles making the racing tighter. There will be two races per day, conditions permitting, with two laps per race and a target time of 50 minutes and a total race time of two hours.