The Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta

by Susan Robinson-Derus on 26 Jan 2007 Auckland will be the city of sails on Monday, January 29 as the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta fleet of some 500 vessels ranging from 26 vintage tugboats, four tall ships, one waka and hundreds of keel boats, classic yachts and zippy smaller craft take to the Waitemata Harbour.

'The Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta is New Zealand’s oldest sporting event and is still one of the biggest regattas in the world,' says Regatta Organising Committee Chairman, Eric Henry. 'We’re ready to go with a terrific spectacle, starting on Sunday evening when the classic yachts sail into the Viaduct Harbour and are lit up. They’ll join up with 26 beautifully restored tugboats for the Parade of Sail at 9:00am on Monday which will celebrate our maritime heritage. The fleet of competitors for the treasure trove of historic trophies will be ready at the starting line off Orakei Wharf for the starting flag for their classes which begin at 11:00 am.

'A highlight of the day will be the tug races off North Head starting at 10:15 when these powerful historic workboats and their enthusiast skippers test their vessels' speed in competition to battle it out for line honours. It’s a very rare event indeed and we believe the first time such a race has been held anywhere!'

The Regatta was first held 167 years ago and the range of sailing craft participating reflects much of Auckland’s history from over a century ago right up to the present day with up and coming sailors crewing on many of the modern racing yachts, the centreboards and in the Harbour Blast.

The Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta is proudly sponsored by Auckland City, the Royal New Zealand Navy, Ports of Auckland, Classic Hits 97FM, Lion Foundation, AA Travel and Spirit of Adventure Trust.


Regatta Programme

9.00am

Parade of Sail departs Viaduct (Classics, Launches, Soren Larsen etc)

10.00am – 4.00pm

Electron (radio-controlled model racing yachts) racing at Westhaven

International One Metre radio controlled yacht racing at the Viaduct

10.15am

Tugboat race from North Head round Narrow Neck buoy and finishes off North leading buoy by 10.45am

10.30am

First in keelboat race series starts off Orakei Wharf with fleet following at 5 minute intervals

11.00am on

Governor General fires the gun for Division One keelboats from HMNZS Te Kaha.

Classic yachts, Tall Ships, Waka races follow at 5 minute intervals

11.45am:

Harbour Blast: last start from Orakei

12.00pm:

Tug Boats assemble and parade through Viaduct

Centreboard classes race from 11:00 am from Tamaki Yacht Club, Kohimarama Yacht Club, Takapuna Boating Club, Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club

2.30pm

First boats expected from the Islands of the Hauraki Gulf

Spectator Points and Activities

Bastion Point, North Head, East Coast Bays, Tamaki Drive, Orakei Wharf and Viaduct Harbour where the vintage tugboats will be parading, this time in order of placing, after their race at around noon and there will be continuous free family entertainment around the Viaduct on the Sunday and Anniversary Day itself. Emirates Team New Zealand base will be open to the public from 12:30 pm to 5:30pm so supporters can bid them farewell and good luck to bring the America’s Cup home.

For Regatta entries please contact:
www.regatta.org.nz or phone 0800 Regatta (0800 734 2882)