Please select your home edition
Edition
Armstrong 728x90 - HA Foil Range - TOP

Mullet Boats 90th Lipton Cup - 19 March 2011

by wendy Muir on 8 Feb 2011
Alt DSC01003 edited-1 - 90th lipton Cup SW

Mullet boats originated in Auckland around the 1880’s. They were shallow draft centreboard yachts of various lengths, specifically designed for fishing the waters of the Hauraki Gulf.

They targeted mullet which were found in large numbers in the shallow bays and inlets of the inner gulf. They also fished for snapper. These original mullet boats were designed for easy handling by a man and a boy with a rig that could easily be reduced to cope with the ever changeable Auckland weather. The crew cooked on a wood stove and slept aboard under the small foredeck. Their racing history began with the competition to be first to get their catch of fresh mullet to the market and thus get the best prices.

This soon developed into organised competitive racing with the newly formed Ponsonby Crusing Club. These racing mullet boats, codified and structured by the restrictions of the Ponsonby Regatta Committee suddenly took off and have been a big part of Ponsonby Crusing Club ever since. One reason for the longevity of the 22ft L Class is the exciting racing, with skippers and crew motivated to win the prestigious Lipton Cup.

The mullet boat is as much a part of Auckland’s waterfront heritage as the buildings we so carefully register and regulate. The present owners are enthusiasts both for the history of the class and the challenging sailing. It is encouraging to see a growing number of young people involved with the class.

The Lipton Cup

In 1904 the PCC first made contact with Sir Thomas Lipton, honouring him by electing him vice president which he accepted. He was the son of impoverished Irish parents who emigrated to America, where he eventually started work in a New York Grocery Store. At 19 he returned to Scotland and opened his own grocery store which became an international success. The Glasgow grocer turned millionaire tea merchant became a persistent competitor in the Americas Cup. He funded and participated in five challenges for the Auld Mug representing the Royal Ulster Yacht Club between 1899 and 1920. He named each of his yachts 'Shamrock'.


Lipton also became a benefactor of yachting around the world by donating ornate silver trophies to various clubs. There are many stories about how the Ponsonby Cruising Club became a benefactor, but maybe part of it was that he recognised something of himself in the working class membership of the club compared to the 'Royal' Clubs.

In a letter dated 29 April 1920 he offered the PCC a silver cup that he had commissioned the 'Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Co of Regent Street London' (makers of the Americas Cup) to produce according to 'a special design which would be typical of New Zealand and also embodying the burgee of the PCC, its general character to be appropriate to yachting.'

He left the allocation of the competition for the cup to the club.

The Lipton Cup has since been a hotly contested interclub challenge administered by the PCC and has served to preserve this historic class.

The hull form of the mullet boat has remained largely unchanged from the original restrictions, so much so that Valeria, the first winner in 1922 is still competitive today (after painstaking restoration).

The rigs were always way out of proportion to the hull, dating back to their original design and purpose. However they have continued to evolve to the present standard Marconi rig with an enormous mainsail and spinnaker. It is little wonder that mullet boats in full sail never fail to catch the eye of the public. Little wonder also that they have been the making of many of New Zealand’s top sailors and that the Lipton Cup is one of Auckland's most coveted yachting trophies.

It is our fervent hope that the mullet boat will be perpetuated as part of Auckland’s waterfront heritage and the L class mullet boats colourful history and association with the Lipton Cup survives and strengthens, towards the 100th Lipton Cup and beyond.

C-Tech 2021 (Spars-QFX Racer) 728x90 BOTTOMMaritimo M75Zhik 2024 December

Related Articles

Who made the right call to get to the breeze?
And how technology is changing the Transpac Race to Hawaii Boats racing in the 2025 Transpac continue to reel in the offshore miles toward the finish line off Honolulu, Hawaii, in the 53rd edition of this historic 2,225-nautical-mile race.
Posted today at 12:54 am
OK Dinghy Europeans at Warnemünde day 3
Nick Craig fights back Canada's Ben Flower and Britain's Charlie Cumbley will go into Wednesday's final day at the 2025 OK Dinghy European Championship in Warnemünde, Germany, on equal points with two more races to sail.
Posted on 8 Jul
British Classic Week Day 2
An early start for Classes 1-3 as they prepared to race around the Isle of Wight It was an early start for the British Classic Week fleet on day two, as Classes 1-3 prepared to race around the Isle of Wight.
Posted on 8 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 3
The leaderboard tightens at the halfway mark after today's racing in a building breeze After a frustrating day of waiting ashore on Monday, Day 3 brought back the action in Aarhus Bay with spectacular foiling conditions and a full day of intense racing.
Posted on 8 Jul
Fleet advances to the last half of the AEGEAN 600
In contrast to yesterday's slow pace, the rate of progress has been much improved Most of the fleet of 59 Monohulls and Multihulls who are sailing in this year's AEGEAN 600 have either already entered the second half of the race at the island of Rhodes or are well on their way to reaching this important milestone.
Posted on 8 Jul
Mediterranean Regatta season in full swing
A+T instruments seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for racing fleets As regatta season gathers speed, A+T instruments were seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for the racing fleets.
Posted on 8 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 1
Storm cells circling Lake Garda lead to atypical and tricky conditions The 137 sailors representing 25 nations faced the first day of racing in conditions that were anything but typical for Malcesine, with unstable weather creating a complex, yet exciting, opening.
Posted on 8 Jul
NYYC International Women's Championship update
Teammates and Competitors Join Forces The strength of bonds forged in competition is a common theme among the second group of skippers and teams invited to compete in the 2026 New York Yacht Club International Women's Championship.
Posted on 8 Jul
The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board.
Posted on 8 Jul
Sailing's Glitterati prepare for the Admiral's Cup
The depth and quality of talent is truly breathtaking. The 2025 Admiral's Cup is shaping up to be one of the most compelling editions in the event's storied history, featuring a glittering constellation of the sport's elite.
Posted on 8 Jul