Sails long-lasting symbol of city by the sea

Tomorrow's Anniversary Day regatta is the 159th. WARREN GAMBLE traces Auckland's love affair with the sea.

Long before corporate slogans were dreamed of, Auckland was already a fledgling city of sails, and the Anniversary Day regatta gave it a picture-postcard centrepiece.

The establishment of New Zealand as a British colony was marked on January 30, 1840. Within a short time sailing celebrations of the event began on the Waitemata Harbour.

The regatta as a formal celebration officially did not begin until 1850, when tall-masted trading schooners lined the harbour decked out in gaily coloured flags and bunting.

Racing on the harbour had first been recorded in September 1840, after the official ceremony for Government officers taking formal possession of the new settlement of Auckland.

Races were held between old sea dogs from the barque Anna Watson in a six-oared gig (rowing boat) and the Surveyor-General's five-oared gig.

Two whale boats then rowed off for a £5 prize and Maori in rival canoes paddled against one another.

Promoting a more formal event in 1849, the New Zealander newspaper advanced reasons the regatta should be the Anniversary Day focus instead of the horse-racing at Epsom.

"In our commemorative festivals, whatever our equine predilections, in a maritime colony of the greatest maritime nation the world ever saw we are of the opinion a regatta would be a much more national and appropriate sport."

The paper got its wish and on January 29, regatta organisers staged about 12 events mainly involving rowing boats and Maori canoes.

It was just as well; the day was so still and clear there was little wind to fill any canvas.

In 1880 prizemoney reached a staggering £100 for the champion schooner race, attracting 12 fully rigged sailing ships on a 40-mile race around Tiritiri (Tiritiri Matangi) Island.

The only time the regatta was cancelled was during the 1900 Boer War, although during the two World Wars the event was considerably scaled down.

One of the most spectacular mishaps in the regatta happened in 1920, when a seaplane taking off collided with a yacht's mast and crashed into the harbour. Nobody was injured.

Another regatta tradition, which has persisted to this day, had early roots. In 1854 the Southern Cross reported the popularity of spectator craft and charter vessels offering "refreshments on a liberal scale."

In recent years interest had waned, with entries dropping from a peak of 1300 in 1990 to under 500 last year.

But with the America's Cup focus putting the City of Sails emphatically back on the map, and a new sponsorship deal from the New Zealand Herald, organisers predict a return to the days when the regatta was renowned throughout the British Empire.

The Herald has long links to the regatta. Way back in 1889, the publishers Wilson and Horton presented the Arawa Cup, which this year will be awarded in the Starling dinghy class.