Homecoming parade being arranged for America's Cup helmsman

Team New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling (left) and team foil trimmer Blair Tuke at Tauranga's returning Olympians parade last year. The 49er skiff duo won gold at Rio. Photo/file

A civic parade and homecoming for winning America's Cup helmsman Peter Burling is being organised by Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless.

The parade would be held to celebrate Team New Zealand claiming the America's Cup yesterday after securing a 7-1 series victory over holders Oracle Team USA.

It would become the second Tauranga parade in 12 months to involve Burling who was one of the returning Rio Olympians cheered on by thousands of spectators last September.

"I am sure he would be happy to be welcomed by his hometown," Mr Brownless said.

The council will liaise with the Burling family to find a suitable date. "I imagine that Peter will be very busy - he will be in demand."

Mr Brownless hoped that other team members would be persuaded to join their helmsman in the parade through Tauranga's city centre, together with the cup itself if the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron agreed.

The council needed to pick a day in which as many Tauranga residents as possible were able to attend.

"I suspect it will be even bigger than the Olympians parade."

Mr Brownless said Tauranga was a port city and the town where Burling was born and grew up.

"He is a big part of the city's yachting fraternity and his parents Richard and Heather are well known."

Mr Brownless found the races nail biting because of the stunning turnaround in Team New Zealand fortunes four years ago when it looked like the team had all but won the America's Cup.

"Until we had the cup in the bag, it was not in the bag. I was trying hard not to get too excited."

The good thing about the cup being in New Zealand was that the rules would be fair, he said.

The mayor predicted that Tauranga would get good spin-offs if Auckland's inner Waitemata Harbour was chosen for the next defence of the cup in 2021.

The $11.4 million first phase of Tauranga's Marine Precinct would be finished by then, with the facility capable of handling boats up to 350 tonnes using New Zealand's largest vessel hoist.

Land strengthening was under way on the 3.4ha precinct at Sulphur Pt, with the site needing to be lifted by one metre so it was at the required height above sea level for new buildings.

The vessel hoist was almost finished and ready for shipping from Italy to Tauranga for assembly and commissioning.

The council's City Transformation Committee chairman Larry Baldock said bringing the America's Cup back to New Zealand would be great for Tauranga.

"Huge numbers of super yachts come with the cup and we will be better set up to handle the yachts with the travel lift [vessel hoist] in the Marine Precinct," he said.

Mr Baldock said the Marine Precinct would be fabulous once it was up and running and he predicted that people would also be interested in visiting Peter Burling's hometown.