Boating NZ January 2022

The January issue of Boating New Zealand heralds a new year: 2022. Let’s hope it’s at least as memorable as 2021, but for very different reasons. 2021 began with Emirates Team New Zealand successfully defending the America’s Cup in Auckland, a great event despite Covid-19 disruptions. Thanks to the pandemic, New Zealand – and Auckland in particular – did not reap all the benefits the 2020-21 event promised to deliver. But hey, there’s always next time, right? Well maybe… The new America’s Cup protocol, which looks interesting – progressive and inclusive – has been announced, but still no venue. Chasing funding, Grant Dalton seems set on taking the Cup defence offshore, claiming the team will collapse if he doesn’t. Opposing him, a group led by high-profile lawyer and ex-Team New Zealand executive Jim Farmer…

On November 17, eight months after Emirates Team New Zealand successfully defended the America’s Cup, the Defender, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Emirates Team New Zealand, and the Challenger of Record, Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd and their representative team INEOS Britannia, announced the Protocol of the 37th America’s Cup. The Protocol sets the foundations and rules of participation for all teams in the 37th America’s Cup and records the items of mutual consent under the America’s Cup Deed of Gift agreed between the Defender and the Challenger of Record which establishes the basis for a multi-challenger event. Cost reduction has been a key consideration as part of the balance in the development of the AC37 Protocol including: • Teams are only permitted to build one new AC75 • Limitations on the quantity…

Unique partnership between Lotto NZ, Coastguard and Emirates Team New Zealand sees America’s Cup chase boats return to water, refitted as high-spec new rescue vessels for Coastguard, thanks to $9.8M of lottery funding. When the crew of Coastguard Great Barrier received their brand new, high-spec rescue boat recently, they had a lot of people to thank. Theirs was the first of 26 new vessels to be added to Coastguard New Zealand’s fleet this summer, thanks to a unique partnership with Lotto NZ and Emirates Team New Zealand – 100% funded by a $9.8 million lottery grant made possible by the millions of Kiwis who play Lotto NZ games each year. Originally used as chase boats during this year’s America’s Cup, the boats have been refitted to meet the specific demands of Coastguard service…

The 2022 Auckland Boat Show will be a celebration of summer. Running from 17-20 March, it will transform Jellicoe Harbour into a festival on the water celebrating marine heritage, boating innovation and some of the past year’s largest and mostluxurious marine industry new releases. With more than 130 exhibitors, the former America’s Cup team bases will become the site of sea trials, demonstrations, and a plethora of new vessels, products and services set against the backdrop of Auckland’s bustling Wynyard Quarter. Local company Sealegs will have five of its amphibious vessels available for sea trials, including a new 3.8m tender, a 7.5m Hydrasol RIB and the tough 8.5m Alloy Cabin model. Fellow Kiwi company Extreme Boats will be launching its new Legacy Marine range of highend sport fishing motoryachts at the show. Built…

A marine mammal sanctuary in Te Pēiwhairangi/Bay of Islands aims to not only reverse the decline in the numbers of bottlenose dolphins in the area, but also better protect visiting orcas and fur seals. Bottlenose dolphins are found worldwide but are classified as nationally endangered in New Zealand with their total population thought to be around 1000. The Te Pēiwhairangi/Bay of Islands Marine Mammal Sanctuary covers the coastal area enclosed by the harbour line from Cape Brett to Tikitiki Island, and waters accessed from the towns of Rawhiti, Russell, Opua, Paihia and Kerikeri. “The rules let boaties continue to enjoy and use the beautiful waters of the Bay, but in a way that allows our marine mammals to as well. Unlike some other marine refuges there are no specific restrictions on fishing,” says…

Uncertainty over Covid restrictions and organisational issues has forced the cancellation of the next edition of one of New Zealand’s biggest and best-loved sailing events, the CRC Bay of Islands Sailing Week. The event, which would have been celebrating its 20th anniversary in January 2022, will now postpone celebrations until the following year’s regatta. Organisers say the decision was not taken lightly, with the committee deliberating for weeks over whether the volunteer-run event could go ahead in one way or another. The committee considered several options to make the event happen, including running a scaled-down, on-water only event, without the shorebased entertainment side of the regatta. But a host of difficulties have conspired to scupper the event, including knock-on effects from Covid, and the added complexities of a new marine mammal sanctuary set…