Millennium Cup reveals harbour race courses
Friday 30 January 2009, 4:38PM
By Relish Communications
814 views
Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour plays host to the Millennium Cup Pacific Series superyacht regatta from 9 to 11 February and event organisers, with the help of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS), have now revealed the courses for the three days of racing to participants.
The Millennium Cup superyacht regatta is run by the New Zealand Marine Export Group (NZ Marine) to highlight the expert design and workmanship of the organisation’s approximately 170 members. The regatta is administered by the RNZYS with Hal Wagstaff appointed the race officer.
During the three day event, competitors in the sailing divisions will be sent to one of four courses depending on weather conditions and which course the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series teams are using that day, explains NZ Marine chairman Mark Wightman.
“As RNZYS is also managing the Louis Vuitton regatta, it makes for a smooth operation to have our complimentary regatta administered by the same highly-skilled organisation,” says Wightman.
“Just like the Louis Vuitton series, our skippers attend an early morning briefing where they are advised which race course they’ll be sailing that day with an 11am start. We will then promptly advise media and post on our website, www.millenniumcup.com, which sailing course is being used so that public can make the most of the opportunities to see these fantastic superyachts under full sail.”
The longest of the Millennium Cup races will involve the Hauraki Gulf islands. Starting off the East Coast Bays, the yachts head northeast through the deepwater passage between the end of Whangaparaoa peninsula and Tiritiri Matangi Island then northwest to round Moturoa Island, then back through the Tiri passage to Takapuna. There are three different options within this course with the longest being around 40 nautical miles and the others around 33 nautical miles. One of the other options also includes rounding Rakino Island before returning to the finish.
The inner harbour race is sure to offer spectators fantastic photo opportunities, says Wightman. “The superyachts cross the start off Princes Wharf, head towards Motuihe Island to round ‘northern leading’ mark then sail back up the harbour to a mark near the harbour bridge and back to Princes Wharf. Seeing these magnificent yachts under full sail so close to both shores of Auckland Harbour is certainly going to be exciting to watch.”
The inner harbour race can only take place on a day when the Louis Vuitton competitors are sailing either their blue or green courses (the more northern courses).
The third and final race course for Millennium Cup competitors involves two shorter races off Takapuna Beach. A triangular course will be marked with buoys, taking the yachts out towards Rakino Island, north towards Gulf Harbour and back to Takapuna. One of these short courses will be sailed in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
“Using an IRC (International Racing) handicap system, the boats are allocated a specific start time with the intention that they will cross the finish line roughly at the same time around four and a half hours later,” explains Wightman.
“One of the very important elements of every Millennium Cup is the social events organised at the end of each day, so after an enjoyable race, we aim to have crews back to shore before 5pm so they can prepare to gather at our dedicated venue at the Louis Vuitton Cup Village at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. Each evening of our event, 9 to 11 February, we have a themed social function to owners, crews, guests and sponsors to enjoy.”
When developing the race courses, RNZYS personnel and Owen Rutter, Millennium Cup organising committee member and managing director of Events Clothing Company, aimed to showcase as many aspects of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour as possible to the superyacht owners and crews participating in the event.
“We believe Owen and the RNZYS team has done a fantastic job with the course layouts,” comments Wightman.
“This Millennium Cup Pacific Series offers superyacht owners what could be the last chance in a long time to compete for the Millennium Cup in Auckland. We don’t know when, or if, the America’s Cup will be contested again. As our event is intrinsically linked to the America’s Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup, all you can say with certainty is that the next Millennium Cup will be sailed overseas. So with the beautiful summer we’re having in Auckland, there’s no better time to get a race crew together and get out on to the Waitemata Harbour for a very special Millennium Cup challenge in 2009.”
The 2009 Millennium Cup Pacific Series is made possible with the support of Boat International Media, Alloy Yachts, Integrated Marine Group, Southern Spars, Fitzroy Yachts, Robinson Marine Interiors, Events Clothing, Viking Crew Management, Hall Spars, Electronic Navigation, Oceanbridge Shipping, Harken NZ, North Sails, Maxwell Marine, Mulcahy Engineering, Yachting Developments, 26000 Vodka, Lufthansa Private Jet, Lexus, Antipodes Water, Arano Juice and Domo Collections.