After making its first splash in Halifax, will SailGP come back?

An international sailing competition made its Canadian debut in Halifax this weekend, drawing thousands of people to both sides of the harbour and shutting down marine and air traffic in an unprecedented fashion. Will it be a one-time event, or the first of a recurring series? The Rockwool Sail Grand Prix, or Sail GP, signed an agreement with Sail Nova Scotia for three consecutive years of races in Halifax, but coming back is not a guarantee. Frank Denis, Sail Nova Scotia's executive director, called the event "a resounding success," thanks to a massive turnout and winds that had boats topping 90 kilometres per hour.

He said he hopes it will return, but the final decision involves many stakeholders, including the municipal and provincial governments, Build Nova Scotia, Discover Halifax and the Port of Halifax. Not to mention SailGP, which is not obligated to come back, and has historically been courted by more cities than it can visit in any given season. Paul MacKinnon, CEO of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, is keen to have the race back.

"This event really hits on a whole bunch of things that are great for downtown. It's still a little bit of a shoulder season. I mean, summer really kind of kicks off July and August," he said.

"Having events like this that are outside, that are happening in June, are great. They bring extra business that we wouldn't normally have." He said the event likely brought tens of millions of dollars of economic spinoff into the city.

The .