| The latest sailing news from New Zealand and the world. |
15 Nov 2017 |
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  Sail-World NZ - Nov 15 - Battle of the Waitemata
 | | Emirates Team New Zealand was the only team integrated with the America's Cup Village and Media Centre in Bermuda and received the most benefit. Bob Greiser/America's Cup |
Welcome to Sail-World.com's New Zealand e-magazine for November 15, 2017
On Monday morning, ahead of a workshop organised to bring Auckland Councillors a graphic was published showing the sites under consideration for the hosting of the 36th America's Cup - if it is to be held in Auckland rather than Italy.
Developed from leaked information, it triggered a media conference at 4.00pm at the Auckland Council while the workshop was still in progress.
The purpose of the workshop was to front-foot the Auckland venue situation and get accurate information into the public purview rather than allowing the issue to percolate using misinformation pushed out by opposition groups.
To recap, the Auckland Council had a Long Term Planning meeting back on September 5, 2017. Running interference across the decade by decade planning was the inconvenient truth that Emirates Team New Zealand had won the America's Cup two months earlier.
Despite having won the Challenger Final for the past two multi-challenger America's Cups, there had been nothing factored into long-term planning to host an America's Cup in Auckland. On their third attempt, Emirates Team New Zealand was able to win, and suddenly Auckland Council was propelled into the hot seat.
 | | America's Cup team base option Halsey Street extension - forming a team basin. The option favoured by Emirates Team NZ. The Media Centre would be housed in the Viaduct Events Centre in the lower left of the image. Auckland Council |
Since 2000 there has been a progressive sell-off of the Viaduct Harbour created for the hosting of the 30th and 31st America's Cups off the back of the Team New Zealand win in 1995 in San Diego.
Last to go was the team that was the catalyst for the rejuvenation of Auckland's eyesore into a glittering jewel. While in the throes of what proved to be a successful America's Cup campaign, Emirates Team New Zealand was shunted off to a disused oil company administration office at the eastern side of Westhaven Marina, and operated from there, along with a couple of tents for boats and kit.
Despite operating for 30 years, having won the America's Cup three times, and being the major catalyst for a $1.5billion a year marine industry, Emirates Team New Zealand still has no permanent home in Auckland.
Fast forward to present day and Auckland Council's CEO tabled the required report on the options for Auckland.
Back on September 5, several Councillors (Darby, Casey, Collins, Hills, Hulse, and Wayne Walker) were against even having Halsey Street included in the options. 13 Councillors were in favour of having all options considered in the report, and four were absent for the vote.
The report on Monday afternoon showed that in various forms the extension to Halsey Street is the only workable option. There are three layouts which can be used.
 | | Several Council members believe this vista view should not be blocked by the Halsey Street extension |
A key message from previous America's Cups is that the team bases, media centre, and America's Cup Village.
San Francisco used a model where the Media Centre was in one location with the America's Cup Village close by and the team bases some way down the Embarcadero.
Bermuda had a more integrated model, but the bases, on the 'mainland' side of the Royal Dockyard, had public access blocked along a walkway that could have taken fans past Land Rover BAR, Groupama Team France, Softbank Team Japan and Oracle Team USA. Instead, there was a locked gate after the first two bases. Emirates Team New Zealand got a lot of fan support being on Cross Island and alongside the America's Cup Village. Artemis Racing had their main base up the end of the Great Sound, and a 'day' base alongside Emirates Team NZ - which didn't work as their AC50 stayed in the water, with no haulout, before returning to the main base.
Valencia got the closest to an integrated base, Village, Media Centre model with the ambitious revamp of the Darcena. However the 2007 America's Cup lacked a home crowd, as the Match was between a Swiss team, and a New Zealand team with the regatta sailed in 'neutral' Spain. For sure the New Zealand fans were there in their droves - but they was only one side of the America's Cup equation.
Auckland showed how it should be done with an integrated facility in the 2000 and 2003 Defences (result excepted).
 | | In Valencia the Darsena turned a shabby piece of waterfront into an integrated America's Cup and marine sports facility pictured in may 2006. Unfortuately by shopping the venue there were no home fans for the Swiss defender. 2006/Photo:Carlo Borlenghi ACM 2007/Carlo Borlenghi |
Those opposed to any further incursion are buoyed by a win in the 2015 stand-off with the Ports of Auckland over plans to extend Bledisloe Wharf by 92 metres into the Waitemata Harbour, effectively narrowing the harbour for navigation.
That protest had the support of the sailing community. It was also opposed by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and many leading yacht figures. Those parties are unlikely to back opposition to the America's Cup base proposals - quite the reverse in fact.
Add in those America's Cup fans who supported the team at the various homecoming parades, and support for this 2017 issue quite different from the Battle of Bledisloe in 2015.
The construction of the Halsey Street extension - in whatever form, does not progress beyond the current wharf lines (and is inside the line of the two existing wharves on either side).
Currently the primary use of this piece of Auckland backwater is for boats to navigate from the Viaduct Harbour to the inner Waitemata harbour. This passage is largely unaffected and will just require a couple more turns by vessels.
Let us not forget the reason why we are in this situation is because of a lack of long-term planning in the area. The planners ignored the fact that ETNZ had made the last three multi-challenger Matches for the America's Cup as the top Defender and was likely to win again at some stage.
 | | Naiad was one of the New Zealand companies who benefitted from the 2013 America's Cup - designing the chase boats used by Oracle Team USA. Richard Gladwell |
They failed to plan for this eventuality and in fact continued to sell off areas of the Viaduct harbour to hotel and commercial office developers - to the point where there was nothing left.
It is all very well to be opposed to any harbour encroachment per se, but as we saw in the harbour encroachment to create the Viaduct Harbour in 1995-1998, the development does create a much better space for the enjoyment of the people of Auckland.
The encroachment that is proposed over the patch of water off the end of Halsey Street will not destroy anyone's enjoyment of the Waitemata harbour.
It is not used as a piece of recreational water - there is far too much water movement from the residual and backlash of ferry and other wakes for that to be a valid claim.
 | | Bermuda did not have an integrated America's Cup base, with most of the teams wedged in between ugly silo tanks. Richard Gladwell |
As one who owns a mooring on the opposite side of the harbour at Stanley Bay, the ferry wakes are extremely hazardous, and no-one in their right mind could ever suggest that anchoring in this piece of water is a pleasurable experience. On the opposite side of the harbour off Halsey Street, the water movement would be even worse.
The sightline from Wynyard Point is directly across to the hotel and apartment complex on Princes Wharf. It is not a great vista, in fact, it is awful. No-one can seriously suggest that extending a wharf partially across that monstrosity is going to diminish the views. Those were long gone when the Princes Wharf complex was approved.
If the long-term plan to turn Wynyard Point into a public park is achieved, then the Halsey Street extension will not impact significantly on the harbour views as it is insight the sight line and the navigation line.
The option of using Tauranga as an alternative venue could run into issues with the Deed of Gift for the America's Cup as would the Italian venue option. Most students of the Deed of Gift accept that there is an implied term in the 19th-century document which governs the conduct of the Match, that interpretation says the regatta must be sailed in the home waters of the current holder - in this case, the RNZYS. While that provision has not yet been tested in the New York Supreme Court. The argument has been set out yet again in 'Exposed' by Larry Keating and Alan Sefton, and someday it will be tested to stop an instance of shopping the Venue.
This is an opportunity for Auckland to wake up and take the opportunity that has been offered by the America's Cup win on June 26th and spend the money to do this venue properly and make the best utilisation of available assets and create the best water sports facility in the world.
The overriding message from the cities that have hosted the last few America's Cup and Olympic Sailing Regattas is that those who have done it well, have an excellent legacy asset. Those who have cut corners do less well. None have the payback that Auckland will receive from the 2021 America's Cup and beyond.
We need a City of Sails not a City of Wails.
 | | Qingdao provided an integrated sailing facility, along with wind generators for the 2008 Olympic Regatta Richard Gladwell |
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Good sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
sailworldnzl@gmail.com
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 | | Part of the America's Cup Village - San Francisco - the nearest team base was a mile down the Embarcadero Richard Gladwell |
 | | San Francisco - Fans crowd the waterfront with the America's Cup Village behind. Richard Gladwell |
 | Valencia Louis Vuitton Cup ACT's 2 & 3 in 2004
Photo: Carlo Borlenghi/ACM
ACM 2007/Carlo Borlenghi |
 | | Warming up in the America's Cup Village, Bermuda, May 24, 2017 Richard Gladwell |
 | | ATEED's Steve Armitage and Panuku Development's Rod Marler front the media after the Council Workshop. Richard Gladwell |
 | | The media centre constructed for the 2013 America's Cup became a cruise ship terminal after the regatta - same as is proposed for the Captain Cook Wharf legacy use in Auckland. Richard Gladwell |
 | | Emirates Team New Zealand with Oracle Team USA mid-way through the 34th America's Cup in San Francisco. Richard Gladwell |
 | | San Francisco - the fans spread along the waterfront - well away from the America's Cup Village - team bases were in the other direction down the Embarcadero Richard Gladwell |
 | | Land Rover BAR and Groupama Team France were at the other end of the Bermuda "mainland" but the way past was blocked with a gate at the Softbank Team Japan end. Richard Gladwell |
 | | Emirates Team New Zealand was the only team integrated with the America's Cup Village and Media Centre in Bermuda and received the most benefit. Richard Gladwell |
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