A superb fleet of superyachts, all at least 30 metres long, will provide a thrilling spectacle when they compete in NZ Marine's Millennium Cup in the Hauraki Gulf next February.

First held during Team's NZ's successful defence of the America's Cup, the Millennium Cup will now be held annually, attracting some of the world's most prestigious superyachts and helping to showcase New Zealand's world-class superyacht building and refit industries.



According to Stuart Robinson, Chairman of NZ Marine's Millennium Cup committee, the 2012 Millennium Cup has already attracted a top quality field of five highly impressive vessels, with strong interest from a "significant" number of others.

The confirmed entries, all of which were built in Auckland, range from the 31-metre S/Y Pacific Eagle to the 48.5-metre S/Y Georgia, both from the Henderson yard of Alloy Yachts. The latter, christened at the stroke of midnight 2000, was not only the first superyacht of the new millennium; she was also, at that time, the world's largest sloop.

Also confirmed is the Yachting Developments-built 33.8-metre Silvertip, current holder of the Millennium Cup and the first yacht in the world to win both the Superyacht Society's Best Sailing Yacht and Showboat's Best Sailing Yacht awards.

Rounding out the current list of entries are the 39.6-metre S/Y Janice of Wyoming and the 44-metre S/Y Imagine, both also built by Alloy Yachts.

Members of the public, even those on shore, will this year be able to enjoy close-up views of an impressive fleet of luxury superyachts as they compete in the 2012 NZ Millennium Cup on February 16-18.

Racing on the three days of this prestigious event will take place close to shore, in the Waitemata harbour and inner Hauraki Gulf. This means those on vantage points at Devonport, North Head, Bastion Point, on the East Coast Bays and Whanagaparoa Peninsula, as well as along the Motutapu and Rangitoto shorelines, will be able to see all of the action as these luxurious 30-metre-plus vessels battle for supremacy.

NZ Millennium Cup organisers have designed courses that start and finish off Viaduct Harbour, ensuring there will also be good viewing at both ends of the races for those working in the CBD.

"Those watching, wherever they are, will be treated to a real spectacle," says organising committee chairman, Stuart Robinson. "These are some of the world's most spectacular yachts and, when they fly their spinnakers, some will be carrying more than 1000 square metres of sail! Most people will never have seen anything like this before!"

Racing in this year's NZ Millennium Cup will get underway at 11am on Thursday, February 16 with a harbour race. This will be followed with 11am starts on Friday and Saturday with races from Viaduct Harbour to the inner Hauraki Gulf islands and back.

While the NZ Millennium Cup does have an active social component, Robinson stresses that the racing is taken very seriously by the vessels' owners, their guests and crews and by the organisers.

"All of the races in the 2012 NZ Millennium Cup will be run by race management experts such as Ross Marwick and Hal Wagstaff from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron."These are the same race management teams that will be in charge a few weeks later, when the Volvo 70 Fleet arrive in Auckland, compete in their inshore race and then head away on the next leg of their race around the world."

When not racing, the superyacht owners and their guests will be given the chance to experience some of New Zealand's finest food and wine in a mixture of casual and formal settings. These will range from a "Kiwi bach" themed post-race function in the Floating Pavilion to a formal gala dinner and prizegiving in The Cloud on Princes Wharf, complete with a charity auction to raise money for Coastguard.

"There is no doubt that the Millennium Cup is now the South Pacific's premier regatta for superyachts," says Robinson.

"It is also a great opportunity for the New Zealand marine industry to showcase its talent, especially in the export-driven superyacht new build and refit sectors."

The 2012 Millennium Cup committee is pleased to announce that Alloy Yachts and Integrated Marine Group have come onboard as gold sponsors. Joining them is silver sponsor and the regatta's official clothing partner Events Clothing and media partners The Superyacht Group and Ocean Media.

For more information, please contact:
Amy Welch
Project Manager
Phone: +64 21 02225143
Email: amy@millenniumcup.com
Website: www.millenniumcup.com

source: www.nzmarine.com