What a blast

They’ve been and gone – and are now racing south to the high latitudes before turning east for Cape Horn. If the Southern Ocean lives up to its reputation, they’re definitely in for a blast. I am, of course, talking about the Volvo Ocean Race boats, but the ‘blast’ I’m referring to is their two-week stop-over in Auckland.

Fun, colourful, wild. A fantastic, cosmopolitan flavour. Amazing vibe. A rare, privileged insight into the lives of a group of mad men/ women – and their incredibly high-tech machines.

These are just some of the comments I’ve recorded from visitors to the Race Village – sailors, power-boaters and landlubbers alike.

Auckland celebrated the event in style, even cooperating with mostly superb weather – and it drew the crowds. VOR representatives estimate more than 500,000 visitors descended on the Village. Being part of it felt good. Really good. What a blast.

I’m also quietly celebrating the news – as I write – that Auckland has been ranked the world’s third-best city for quality-of-living.

In a just-published survey by global recruitment consultancy Mercer, 450 cities around the world were assessed across 39 factors within 10 quality-of-living categories. Traffic gridlock, presumably, wasn’t one of the considerations.

The survey’s conducted annually, and the City of Sails has scored third for the fifth time – the last four in a row – and this year is behind Vienna and Zurich.

I’ll concede to being a trifle biased, but I’m sure the organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race didn’t need the survey to underscore their decision to use Auckland as a stop-over base. Indeed, Karin Backlünd, the event’s executive director, says her team considers Auckland the “spiritual home of the Volvo Ocean Race.”

There is, of course, a valuable message in all of this for those debating the layout and location of the base for the 2021 America’s Cup. Please don’t cock it up. Happy boating. Lawrence Schäffler Editor