22 Breeze Magazine
Ocean giants engaged in close racing on the Hauraki Gulf during the Mastercard Superyacht Regatta.
Grace and power on display
Words by Andrew Delves Photos by Jeff Brown One of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s major highlights of our 150th celebration calendar was the Mastercard Superyacht Regatta held in late February, and it didn’t disappoint. To hold the first superyacht regatta in the world for over a year was a massive confidence boost for the superyacht industry here and around the world, and a great show of resilience by the RNZYS, and New Zealand. With exceptional off-water events planned each evening, it was a blessing when the government announced that Auckland would move to Covid Level One the evening before kickoff – meaning we could proceed with the event we had been planning for more than three years in its entirety. Seven superyachts were entered and lined up for four days of sailing: Tawera, Sassafras, Aschanti IV, Silvertip, Catalina, Miss Silver and Whirlwind. Not only were the yachts a sight to behold, but the City of Sails turned on exquisite conditions throughout, beautifully showcasing the backdrop of the Hauraki Gulf, it’s idyllic
surrounding Islands, the North Shore’s beaches and the Auckland cityscape. Six races were sailed across the four days, all off the East Coast, between North Head and Long Bay. Race Officer Harold Bennett set perfect courses to put these sailing monsters through their paces. New Zealand-built Tawera took an early lead after Auckland Unlimited Race Day One,
notching up a spectacular win in the first race of the day followed by a second-place finish behind Whirlwind in the final race of the day. The 33m racing machine Silvertip came to the fore on BOAT International Race Day Two, securing a win in what was a long, light wind tactical battle to the finish line. As was the case with every race in this regatta, the speedy Silvertip crossed the line first, but with
