Sailing: Tawera clinch Millennium Cup in Bay of Islands

Tawera continued their dominance on the Bay of Islands' ocean to take out the 2017 New Zealand Millennium Cup. Photo / Ocean Media

Tawera made it three wins in as many races as they clinched the New Zealand Millennium Cup in the Bay of Islands.

The superyacht again dominated a lengthier 27-nautical mile course on a brilliant day for sailing with generous sunshine, blue skies and good winds.

Coming into the final day of racing, Pacific Division competitors Antaeus and Steinlager 2 were tied on points, while Tawera just needed a solid showing to take out the cup.

With an even tighter handicap than the day prior in place for the Mark Foy start, Tawera and Antaeus again nailed faultless starts - a statement of the race to come.

However the honour of best start in the series, reserved for the final day's racing as confirmed by the race committee's Dennis Corbett, was Cavallo's. Galloping over the start within a half second of the gunshot, it was clear to see the starting practice runs she had committed to over the week had paid dividends.

Silvertip and Farfalla gave chase with both harnessing the wind to drive out into the mouth of the Bay.

Racing was marked by a thrilling series of boat-to-boat tacking duels spread out across the Bay.

Approaching the Nine Pin, a bout of jousting between Silvertip and Cavallo left spectators white-knuckled.

Both on a starboard tack with Cavallo, the VHF crackled to life as Silvertip's skipper, Blair MacLeod, called out to Cavallo to give room in order to avoid the glittering grey hull running aground on the craggy rocks of the headlands.

Giving a hair's breadth of room, Cavallo tacked first to round the Nine Pin, pushing Silvertip to the outer lane as they passed the iconic landmark.

As they stormed out to Red Head Buoy, Antaeus passed them returning to the Nine Pin after successfully rounding Red Head, holding a lead on Steinlager 2 that still reflected the approximate 20-minute starting handicap.

Just as Silvertip surged in front of Cavallo, a sudden burst of colour punctuated the skyline as Cavallo's red, white and blue kite broke in two.

Another fiercely contested tacking match between Pumula and Janice of Wyoming took place and later Pumula was pulled in by Farfalla approaching Motuterakihi Buoy.

But no kind wind in favour of the remaining fleet could foil Tawera in her pursuit of line honours and ultimately series win of the NZ Millennium Cup - nor Antaeus in taking out line honours and series win of the Pacific Cup.

At the evening prizegiving in the historic Duke of Marlborough, Antaeus' part-owner Charles St Clair Brown said the wind and their opponents helped them out in their victory.

"The wind gods were kind to us, and Steinlager 2 were especially gracious in letting us slip away," he said.

Janice of Wyoming took second place in the last race, securing the prestigious second place in the NZ Millennium Cup, with Farfalla third in the last race and also securing third in the overall series.