America’s Cup boss turns down $25m views
An America’s Cup syndicate chief executive passed up the chance to rent a $25 million Remuera mansion because he didn’t fancy the view.
He wasn’t worried about the $4500 a week rent for the five-bedroom, fivebathroom manor with a dance studio, a sauna, a bar, a tennis court and a pool.
Bayleys’ residential general manager, Lisa Sargison, said the CEO didn’t want views of Waitemata Harbour. He preferred to see more of Rangitoto Island and the race course – ‘‘so he asked us to keep trying’’.
For the same reason he passed up a six-bedroom, five-bathroom Remuera mansion with separate staff quarters, on a clifftop site overlooking Orakei Basin, the inner harbour and the city, available for rent at $4300 a week.
The $25m home was sold in March this year by Simon and Paula Herbert to a Chinese technology executive who reportedly planned to live in the house and send his children to local schools.
Sargison said some syndicate owners intended bringing down their super-yachts.
‘‘They will most likely stay on board those luxury vessels, or in the penthouse suites of Park Hyatt, Sofitel and the Hilton just a short walk away from where the syndicates will be based,’’ she said.
America’s Cup syndicates and crews are expected to rent houses for two to three years, although a recent reported sale was a $7m Herne Bay sale to one of the challengers.
Sargison said the company was working with two syndicates looking to lease three- and four-bedroom homes in the upmarket suburbs of Herne Bay, Freeman’s Bay, Remuera, Parnell, St Heliers and Devonport, or high-end apartments in the CBD.
Rental budgets were upwards of $1000 a week.
‘‘Location was the most important factor, followed by comfort and style. The instructions from both syndicates were that their people wanted to be close to the city . . . Many are coming down with their wives and families, although school zones weren’t crucial,’’ Sargison said.
The America’s Cup event in 2021 was expected to drive Auckland real estate and many agencies were lacing their advertising with reference to the races.