Final countdown to Auckland MR Cup

source by: Isabel Carlyon

The world’s top skippers have begun to arrive in New Zealand as the countdown to the Auckland Match Racing Cup begins, with less than two days to go until racing starts.
The event, which is being hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, will start on the Waitemata Harbour this Wednesday, 24 January and run until Sunday, 28 January.
Commodore of the Squadron, John Crawford, said he was looking forward to a great week of racing.
“Skippers have come from as far as Russia, Japan and the United Kingdom to compete. It is a great competition for spectators with the racing just outside the Squadron at Westhaven,” he said.
At 3pm on Sunday, 28 January, the public will have the opportunity to see the world-class skippers including favourite America’s Cup contenders - New Zealand’s Dean Barker and Australia’s James Spithill, world number two Ian Williams and world number three Matthieu Richard, up-close at the cup presentation outside Soul Bar in the Viaduct Harbour.
Auckland City Mayor, Dick Hubbard, said the Auckland Match Racing Cup is not only a significant event on the international yachting calendar, but events like this are important to Auckland for their ability to reinforce the positive reputation generated by previous international regattas such as the America's Cup and our world-class marine sector.
“In addition to providing Aucklanders with the opportunity to view the world's best yachtsmen in action for the last time before the America's Cup, I am confident that the Auckland Match Racing Cup will attract considerable direct and indirect expenditure from a variety of sources including racing teams, sponsors, spectators, international media and visitors," he said.
Racing starts at 10am each day and features twenty-minute round-robin races and approximately twenty-five races a day.
The semi-finals for the cup will be on Saturday, January 27 and finals will take place on Sunday, January 28.
The public is invited to watch the racing at a purpose-built grandstand at the Harbour Bridge-end of Westhaven Marina. There is free car parking and food and drink stalls available here.