Superyacht sailors to feast on delights of New Zealand

SUPERYACHT SAILORS WILL FEAST ON THE DELIGHTS OF NEW ZEALAND, FROM SCENERY TO FOOD AND WINE

Participants in the four-day New Zealand Millennium Cup Superyacht Regatta 2003 next month will feast on the delights of New Zealand in a variety of ways.

The menu for the four-day rendezvous includes The Millennium Cup Chef Competition and a day of golf at the prestigious Gulf Harbour course on Whangaparoa Peninsula. Participants will play nine holes on the Gulf Harbour course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and the venue for World Cup Golf in 1998. Other attractions include a race-cruise across the picturesque Hauraki Gulf to Kawau Island, and a New Zealand-themed candlelight banquet dinner at historic Mansion House on Kawau Island staged by Auckland's Sky Catering.

Entries are still coming in for the festival of superyacht sail and power as high-profile charterers snap up the remaining uncommitted vessels that are visiting Auckland for the Cup season.

Britain's Peter Harrison, backer of the British challenge for the America's Cup became the 45th entry today, with his charter of the exquisitely restored 31-metre marconi gaff cutter Moonbeam, designed and built in 1914 by William Fife.

The New Zealand Millennium Cup Superyacht Regatta 2003 will run from February 10-13, finishing just two days before the first race of the 31st match of the America's Cup.

For racing and cruising sailors there will be four days of IRC handicap racing as well as a predicted log competition for motor yachts.

The Millennium Cup Chef Competition, will take place on February 6 and 7, preceding the actual regatta. It has already attracted wide interest from vessels entered in the regatta. It is also open to non-participants as long as the yachts are over 72 feet in length.

Each chef will be required to create a banquet for six, using 100 per cent pure New Zealand food. Each yacht will be assigned a unique time for the judging of their presentation, which must be created in the yacht's galley.

"Food and wine is not a well known feature of New Zealand, and visitors are often amazed by the quality of food and wine they sample when they travel around the country," said Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton. "Tourism New Zealand is working continuously to get the message out that when visitors come to New Zealand they will experience quality food and world class wine in our own style."

Lane Finley, event organizer and Executive Director of Marex, said "This competition will allow entrants to show the world the high caliber of talent aboard their vessels, and to exploit the wonderful abundance of New Zealand foods while competing against some of the best chefs in the world.

"As superyacht chefs, it is important that these cooks be able to create fabulous cuisine, using local products as they move around the world. New Zealand will be a distant and unfamiliar country to many of these chefs and this is their opportunity to show what they can do with our fish, game, fruit, vegetables and wines."

Competitors will be asked to prepare a main course and a desert, themed or formal, with local ingredients. Wines will be from New Zealand. They may use seasonings and non-fresh items from the ship's stores. Photos, menus and recipes will be made available to the media after the competition.

The full entry list for the New Zealand Millennium Cup Superyacht Regatta 2003, plus the entry form can be found on the event web site at www.millenniumcup.com

The Millennium Cup 2003 is proudly supported by Cartier, Jaguar New Zealand and United Airlines, platinum partners for this year's prestigious event. Investment New Zealand is the Strategic Partner and Tourism New Zealand is the Media Partner.