From the 23-26 of January, the Bay of Islands in New Zealand will host the very first regatta of the year: The 10th edition of the New Zealand Millennial Cup.  

New Zealand Millennial Cup. Photo credit Jeff Brown

Participating in the world’s most southerly regatta will be sailing yachts TAWERA, JANICE OF WYOMING, SILVERTIP, SASSAFRAS, AMMONITE and ENSO, the latter two entering the competition for the first time while TAWERA returns to retain her title from 2017. It will be the seventh time entering the event for JANICE OF WYOMING, while award-winning SILVERTIP has taken the title in the past. 

S/Y SASSAFRAS took part in the 2015 regatta and her captain Tim Machalick commented on the upcoming event: “Being a regular visitor to the Bay of Islands makes the Millennium Cup a great way to enhance our time in this stunning part of New Zealand. While we may not be as ‘sported-up’ as some other contenders, we’re looking forward to the opportunity to push the yacht and have a lot of fun sailing around the course. We also firmly hope our participation adds to the interest in an event we support wholeheartedly.” 

NZ Millennial Cup. Photo credit Jeff Brown

The Bay of Islands located north of Auckland is one of the country’s most a popular cruising grounds, consisting of uninhabited islands offering a wealth of wildlife-spotting, fishing and diving opportunities as well as pristine sandy beaches. 

Organisers for America’s Cup are expecting an increase in participants and visitors to superyacht events in the region over the next couple of years ahead of hosting the 36th America’s Cup, and berths are already being reserved ahead of the 2020 date. 

If you would like to attend a racing event or participate in superyacht regattas, please contact the brokers at CharterWorld for the best advice and professional service.