How Southsea seafront is being transformed for SailGP

Southsea Common and the seafront are being prepared for a bonanza weekend of high-octane boating

The countdown is on for the weekend when high-octane boat racing will hit Portsmouth - and preparations are already well under way on Southsea seafront.

The Portsmouth leg of SailGP is the weekend after next - July 25 and 26 - and is expected to attract thousands of spectators. A grandstand overlooking the Solent is taking shape, and marquees in the race village that will host various exhibitions and information stalls are being erected. Castle Field, the Bandstand field and the promenade in front of Southsea Castle

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More than 20,000 people came to the first Portsmouth event last summer, watching the high-speed F50 catamarans race just metres from the shoreline at speeds of more than 60mph. Portsmouth is the start of SailGP's European leg before the championship heads to Germany, Spain and Switzerland.

This week Olympic sailor and majority owner of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team Sir Ben Ainslie urged Portsmouth to come out and watch the action.

He said: “Last year was an incredible event. The turnout, the conditions were just perfect and with the weather at the moment we are expecting more of the same this year and an even bigger crowd. The GBR team were second last season and we want to go one better and win it in front of the home crowd.

“With SailGP we are seeing these really large crowds turning out and supporting the event, supporting the GBR team on home waters. A competitor, and anyone involved with the team, will tell you that is such an incredible opportunity and a huge motivator to go out there and try to win in front of the home crowd.”

News photographer Sarah Standing went to have a look around the site.

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