Emirates Team New Zealand’s win against the best of the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, France and the USA further evidences New Zealand has the world’s best sailors and is leading the world in boatbuilding innovation and technology.

The clock is on! The New Zealand Millennium Cup gets underway this week, marking the start of Auckland’s inaugural ocean festival. The southern hemisphere’s longest-running superyacht regatta gets underway this week in Auckland. The final countdown is on to the New Zealand Millennium Cup, which will see striking superyachts gather to race in Auckland from this Friday. This year’s Cup is a standout edition of the event, marking the start of Moana Auckland; New Zealand’s ocean festival.

From 1-3 March 2024 a festival celebrating Auckland’s maritime heritage will be held for the first time on the waterfront. “Wooden boats are in our DNA,” says founder of the event, Tony Stevenson. “We are an island nation, connected by waterways and boats are truly integral to our way of life. Wooden boats are that connection back to our heritage.”

The marine industry is now worth $3 billion annually to the New Zealand economy, achieving around $2.2 billion in local sales, and $800 million in exports. This was among new statistics that showed the size and growth of the industry released at the recent NZ Marine industry conference by Executive Director Peter Busfield.