The Ocean Race will return to Auckland in 2027 following the Government’s decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event.
Auckland Minister, Simeon Brown said the return of the event to New Zealand’s largest city would be a boost to the local economy.
“New Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ‘City of Sails’,” said Mr Brown.
“I’m sure Kiwis across the country will take a keen interest in this important international race.
“New Zealand has hosted stopovers in all but three of the races over the past 50 years. It is great to have this international event return, that will help showcase Auckland and New Zealand to the world.”
The two-week stopover in March 2027 is expected to attract more than 2,500 international visitors, who are predicted to inject around $20 million into the economy.
“Teams will also be spending money in the New Zealand economy, with boats likely to undergo extensive refits, repairs and provisioning before the next leg traversing the Southern Ocean,” said Mr Brown.
“The Ocean Race has significant international broadcast and media coverage. This is a great opportunity to bring Auckland and New Zealand to the rest of the world and show them all that our largest city has to offer.
“The Government’s support also includes additional youth and sustainability programmes to be held in the lead up to the 2027 Stopover in Auckland, helping to make the most of the impact from hosting these types of events for future generations.
“In 2018, 500,000 people visited the Auckland stopover village so I’m confident New Zealanders will get behind this event and make it another success,” he said.
