JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
Auckland City Council
Tourism Auckland
Auckland Plus

16 December 2009

Auckland to enjoy three-week festival of sailing

Auckland will welcome three prestigious international sailing events to the Waitemata Harbour in March next year as part of the Auckland Festival of Sail.

The three-week celebration of sailing includes the BMW World Sailing Final, Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta and Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland.

There will also be great off-water activities and entertainment for locals and visitors alike to enjoy, with an event village to be established at the Viaduct.

Auckland Festival of Sail is being organised by Emirates Team New Zealand, with support from Auckland City Council, Tourism Auckland and AucklandPlus.

Auckland city Mayor, Hon John Banks, says the festival is a perfect opportunity to showcase Auckland and its spectacular waterfront.

“Not only is this great news for Aucklanders with another festival added to the summer events calendar, it also great news for businesses, especially those in the hospitality, tourism and marine sectors.

“Major events are important economic drivers, especially during the tough times that we are currently experiencing. Securing this festival in Auckland is another step on our road to establishing the city as a desirable international events destination and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best sailors to our shores next year,” says Mr Banks.

Tourism Auckland chief executive, Graeme Osborne, says the Auckland Festival of Sail will further cement the region’s reputation as a destination ideally suited to hosting world-class marine events.

“These events are key opportunities to showcase Auckland as a superior lifestyle city and a global centre of excellence for yachting technology and talent.

“The festival will be a draw card for both locals and tourists, driving visitor stay and spend in the region,” says Mr Osborne.

The economic spin-off from the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series held earlier this year was significant– the event injected at least $16.1 million of additional cash into the Auckland economy and increased the region’s GDP by at least $11.5 million.

Chair of AucklandPlus Board Michael Barnett says the economic benefits generated by the Louis Vuitton Series demonstrate that international events offer significant opportunities for local business.

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Auckland Festival of Sail comprises of three international sailing regattas:

Omega Auckland Match Race Regatta (2 - 6 March 2010)
Hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) the Omega Auckland Match Race Regatta will attract the world’s best match racing sailors to Auckland just prior to the Louis Vuitton Trophy.  At the same time the RNZYS will be hosting the World Junior Match Racing Championships so Auckland will be hosting the world’s current and emerging match racing champions.

Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland (7 – 21 March 2010)
Known previously as the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland (LVT) will be the main attraction of the Auckland Festival of Sail.  Last year Auckland proved the viability of an international match racing series in the America’s Cup class yacht.  Research indicates that this year’s event had an impact in excess of $16 million to the Auckland economy.

The first regatta for the LVT 2010 season was held in Nice in November.  Auckland will host the second regatta commencing 7 March 2010. 

BMW Sailing World Cup Final (21 - 25 March 2010)
Auckland has been offered the opportunity by BMW headquarters in Germany to host the final of the BMW Sailing World Cup of which New Zealand is the current champions.  A match racing regatta for amateur sailors where seven international teams sail in identical boats to determine the best amateur match racing crew in the world.  RNZYS in partnership with BMW NZ will be hosting this event.

Auckland Festival of Sail will also coincide with the Auckland International Boat Show (10 – 14 March 2010), providing an excellent platform for Auckland to showcase its innovative marine sector to the sailing world.

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