Oceanbridge Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta

16 January 2012

The Power and the Beauty Race on the Waitemata Harbour in the Oceanbridge Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta

A huge flotilla of grunty vintage tug and workboats, beautifully restored classic sailing boats, tall ships, waka ama, sloops, multi-hulls, dinghies, dragon boats, America’s Cup prototypes and even radio controlled craft will compete in their respective classes in a full programme of racing in Auckland’s 172nd regatta on Waitemata Harbour on Monday, January 30, the province’s anniversary day.

Entries are now open to all sailors to participate in New Zealand’s oldest sporting event and one of the world’s single biggest one day sailing regattas bringing to life Auckland’s sailing heritage in a glorious spectacle of the vintage superstars of the past and the high tech masterpieces of today.

The Oceanbridge Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta is a great day out for sailors from the rookie sea scout to the professional sailor and also for the tens of thousands of spectators who can see the maritime and trading history of our harbor-rimmed city in action under paddle, sail and steam power.

Bastion Point, North Head, East Coast Bays, Tamaki Drive, Orakei and Princes Wharf, Wynyard Quarter will all offer great vantage points for a big day out starting with the fleet of vintage tugboats leaving the Viaduct Basin at 9:00am on the Monday morning to motor to their race grounds before returning in order of line honours to show off their manoeuvrability and muscle.

The large fleet of some of Auckland’s most beautiful legendary classic yachts will be racing, displaying the artisan craftsmanship of Auckland’s world-class boatbuilding and marine restoration experts.

Rawhiti is one of the latest classic yachts to be joining the regatta after six year restoration with the intricate wood, copper and bronze shaping requiring painstaking work by hand.

“We knocked out 10,000 copper rivets by hand, custom-made bronze cast fittings, hand sanded all the wood till our fingers were calloused and bleeding and ensured every detail was authentic and a work of art,” said co-owner Greg Lee. “It was a labour of love. Our 107-year-old Logan Bros. 54-footer had been well and truly butchered in the 1970s, and to see her returned to her original beauty under the exacting standards of classic restorer and boatbuilder Peter Brookes, was seeing history reborn.”

Auckland has an international reputation as a centre of excellence for maritime industries and traditional craftsmanship. Auckland hosts a big fleet of classics, many of them from the1890’s, which have been faithfully restored to their original form. These include Thelma, Rainbow, Ranger, Gloriana, Tawera, Wairiki and Little Jim which will also be out racing on Anniversary Day.

The classic yacht fleet will be moored in the Viaduct on the Sunday evening, January 29, and lit up Mediterranean-style for sightseers to look at them at close quarters.

They will be racing in their respective classes under the eye of visiting super yachts and the regatta flagship, HMNZS Otago with the Governor General and dignitaries on board.

There will be dazzling aerobatic displays from the Red Checkers followed by the Warbirds over the city skies and the whole of the downtown viaduct area will become ‘party central’ with free entertainment for all the family.

The family of regatta sponsors is headed by Oceanbridge Shipping Limited, Auckland Council, Ports of Auckland Limited, Classic Hits 97.4FM, Lion Foundation and the Spirit of Adventure Trust and Southern Trust.

For more information and entry forms go to www.regatta.org.nz or phone 0800 REGATTA (0800 734 2882) or checkout our Facebook page

It costs $15.00 for centreboard yachts and radio controlled yachts to enter and $25.00 for tugboats, keelboats and multihulls.

PROGRAMME

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
30 January 2012

Sunday 29 January: Viaduct Harbour
A rare opportunity to see our wonderful fleet of heritage vessels up close as they berth in the Viaduct Harbour from late afternoon until Monday morning.
A European flavour will prevail with the vessels being lit up Mediterranean style

Monday 30 January 9.00am: Tugboat Parade
Tugboats young and old will gather at the entrance to the Viaduct Harbour and parade up to their start line off North Head.

10.00am: Tugboat Race off North Head
Watch this amazing display of manoeuvrability and speed as these wonderful craft roar up the channel, round Narrow Neck Buoy and return
to finish off Devonport Wharf - best vantage points are North Head, East Coast Bays beaches, Devonport and Devonport Wharf.
11.30am Fire fighting display off the Viaduct followed by a Parade through the Viaduct.

11.00am: First Start off Princes Wharf
Races start off Princes Wharf, downtown Auckland at 5 minute intervals from 11.00am, with the flying multihulls starting at 11.05am
11.30am: Division One Keelers
11.35am: A Classic and A Modern Classic Divisions
11.40am: B Classic and B Modern Classic Divisions
11.55am: Tall Ships and Waka
12.00noon: Harbour Blast starts off Orakei Wharf
See some of the fastest boats on the water 'blast' off in a vision of colour and speed as they head off around the harbour

Best spectator vantage points are Bastion Point, North Head, East Coast Bays, Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Queen & Princes Wharves.

RED CHECKERS daring aerobatics display followed by the historic HARVARDS formation aerobatics

Other events to watch out for:

10.00am: Radio Controlled Yachts
Be sure to see this amazing display of yachting skill 'America's Cup' style, controlled from the land
Electrons - Marine Association Pontoon, Westhaven Marina
International One Metre and Nautic 12 fleets – Wattle Farm, Manurewa

From 10.00am: Centreboard Classes
9.45am: Narrowneck Beach (Sea Scouts)
10.00am: Maraetai Sailing Club (Starling NI Championships)
Wakatere Boating Club (Sunburst Nationals and Hobie 16’s)
11.00am: Kohimarama Yacht Club, Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club
12.30pm: Tamaki Yacht Club

12.30pm: First boats expected at Princes Wharf
From Mahurangi and Rakino Island: featuring Keelboats and Trailer Yachts

ENDS

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