Waterfront Auckland, the Council organisation responsible for planning, design as well as development on Auckland’s waterfront, is delighted to confirm that the city will again be a stopover on the Volvo Ocean Race in 2015 and 2018.

Waterfront Auckland's Viaduct Marina situated in a popular NZ yacht charter location - Auckland

Nearly 300,000 visited the waterfront during the last stopover in March 2012 and Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development has previously indicated having world-class public spaces in Wynyard Quarter and buildings such as the Viaduct Events Centre were pivotal in the event’s success.

Waterfront Auckland Chief Executive John Dalzell says Viaduct Harbour and Te Wero Island has a proud tradition as the spectator home for international sailing events and have gone a long way to forming the identity of this recently developed part of the waterfront.

“Having the stopover races return is a testament to the faith the race organisers have not just in how the stopover is run, but also in the backdrop and environment we now have down here on the waterfront. We’ve already received significant local and international accolades for Wynyard Quarter from the architecture and design communities for the area, and this latest announcement is a further reminder the power quality urban design can have in opening up and transforming the waterfront.”

“We recognize that the marine and fishing industries are a key part of the diversity of the waterfront and without that diversity we wouldn’t have the unique sense of place and authentic setting that all Aucklanders can be proud of and share in, as they just did with the fantastic Anniversary weekend just been.”