All set for the thrill of the chase for the Cup
There’s never been a better chance for recreational Kiwi boaties to be in the thick of America’s Cup action, writes Todd Niall.
The America’s Cup is expected to draw big numbers of boaties this summer, for race-day viewing and excursions around Hauraki Gulf. Up to 3000 craft are expected around the courses on key race dates, and local and some visiting boaties are expected to also head for popular mooring spots at islands such as Kawau and Great Barrier.
The prospect of racing being close to shore, weather-permitting, may encourage those on the smallest of craft to head out for a look.
‘‘We are prepared to be surprised, so we have things in place to manage it, if it happens,’’ Martin Paget, on-water operations manager for the America’s Cup, said.
The cup match in March and the buildup regattas, which started preChristmas, will ensure Auckland lives up to its City of Sails nickname, which has stuck from the early 1980s.
While the city is claimed, unscientifically, to have one of the highest per capita levels of boat ownership in the world, the slogan began as a marketing line created in 1982 for Sheraton’s first Auckland hotel.
Maritime New Zealand’s annual survey suggests there are 1.6 million people who take part in recreational boating – from paddleboards to superyachts – with 36 per cent of boating in Auckland.
Whatever the numbers really are, Auckland residents and visiting boaties are expected in big numbers.
Between race days, Cup activity is expected to boost cruising around the Hauraki Gulf’s boating hot spots.
There are popular anchorages at many islands such as Kawau, Rakino, Motuihe, Waiheke and, for those with longer boating legs, Great Barrier.
Different bays have different appeal, and which is best can depend on the prevailing wind direction, as well as where a boat sets off from, for example from Gulf Harbour in the north or Beachlands further south.
Woody Bay at Rakino Island is top of many boaties’ lists, with a sandy beach, access to the island’s walking tracks, and fishing and snorkelling around the coastline.
Closer to the inner harbour, where the prime America’s Cup racecourses, bays such as Takutairaroa Bay on Motuihe Island, are readily accessible.
Motuihe is undergoing a major restoration to return it to a haven for native flora and fauna, and has long stretches of beaches that make mooring easy.
Waiheke Island, and privately-owned Po¯nui Island off its southern side, offer sheltered moorings, and Bon Accord Harbour is a drawcard at Kawau Island.
It’s about 30 minutes to Rangitoto Island’s McKenzie Bay from Westhaven by boat, but you can get there by kayak from Takapuna Beach in the same time. Boaties wanting to get as close as possible to the America’s Cup action are being urged to plan ahead, and to sign-up to the official website enabling real-time information to be sent on race day.
While the 2000 and 2003 Cup regattas were sailed on courses further out in the Hauraki Gulf, inner-harbour courses are among the five available for this summer, and weather will determine the choice. ‘‘On the water during the race we can send a text or email to advise them of important information,’’ said Paget, who served with the police maritime unit for decades, including during the past two Cup defences.
‘‘Let’s say something were to happen [that] we needed a lot of people to be aware of – we would be able to send info on phones.’’
Paget said boaties who have an electronic plotter, or a tablet, can be sent a digital file on the morning of race day, showing the course location and where the perimeter is likely to be.
There are no guidelines as to which is the best spot to view from a boat, with the variables being where a boatie heads in from, the size, type and familiarity with their boat, as well as weather conditions.
Paget said boaties will be about 100-200 metres from the official course perimeter, which is not as far as it might sound.
‘‘These boats [AC75s], because of the way they sail, and their speed – they go from one side of the course to the other side all the time – if they are not near you now, just wait, they’ll only be minutes away,’’ he said.