Team New Zealand's Peter Burling will celebrate with the America's Cup in Tauranga next Sunday. Photo/Greg Bowker
The Tauranga yacht club where Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling learnt to sail is "delighted" the local lad is coming home next week to celebrate the America's Cup victory.
Tauranga City Council announced it will host celebrations on Tauranga's waterfront with Burling, several other members of the team and the Auld Mug itself next Sunday.
"Everybody's delighted that he's coming to town; the trophy and he are coming at the same time, so we can have a good old meet up and celebrate the winning of the Cup," Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club Commodore Nick Wrinch told the Bay of Plenty Times yesterday.
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"It's a once-in-a-lifetime type situation where you get someone who's really come through from learn-to-sail to be one of the best yachtsmen in the world," Mr Wrinch said.
"It's something that clubs can only dream of - to see their young ones become the very best. So it's fantastic."
He said the club was having its own function later in the day and that Burling would be there.
Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless said the early afternoon event would give the whole community the opportunity to pay tribute to New Zealand's victorious sailors.
"With our very own Peter Burling at the helm, this team delivered an outstanding success and thrilled the whole country when they raced across the waters in Bermuda.
"We're looking forward to seeing people from Tauranga and the region come out to give these guys the celebration they deserve. It is an excellent opportunity for fans, families and friends to spend some time out at the central city waterfront on a Sunday afternoon."
Burling and other team members are expected to arrive by boat and will be welcomed by the crowds along the waterfront, the council said.
The celebration would begin at 1pm at the Edgewater Fan and a short ceremony would include a haka performed by Tauranga Boys' College senior students.
There would also be speeches, giving members of the public a chance to hear from the athletes themselves, as well as Mayor Greg Brownless.
Tauranga Boys' College principal Robert Mangan said it would be a great day for the school and city.
"It will be really great to acknowledge the achievement of the team and especially those three old boys - Pete Burling, Andy Kensington and Greg Horton."
Horton is on the board of directors at Emirates Team New Zealand, Kensington is a structural engineer and Burling is the helmsman.
Mr Mangan said when he was speaking to the council about the event, they were hoping those three Tauranga Boys' College old boys would be there.
He said the school had told students about it and had invited all of them along, despite being on a Sunday.
"We'll have a group - our senior leaders, both year 12 and our prefect leaders - who will be there in uniform and I'm sure there will be quite a large number of our boys who will be there in mufti on a Sunday and I've invited them to join in the haka as well, and I'm sure they'll want to do that."
And it is not just the students who are thrilled.
"What I'm really excited about is the team effort, the nature of the win, the innovation that was required. It was a combination of team work, a combination of kiwi ingenuity - number eight wire mentality - to beat the top software company in the world and a whole lot of money," Mr Mangan said.
"So it's been a fantastic achievement for Tauranga and certainly for New Zealand."
America's Cup in Tauranga
-If people plan to join the America's Cup celebration, they should be prepared for large crowds and consider using public transport to avoid traffic and parking congestion.
-They can find bus schedules at www.baybus.co.nz.
-If they come in by car, parking is free in the CBD on Sundays.
-The celebrations will take place rain or shine at the Tauranga CBD waterfront and a large screen will be available to view the ceremony in case spectators cannot get close to the stage.
-Emirates Team New Zealand team members and the Auld Mug will be available for photos after the ceremony to give everyone a chance to get their own piece of America's Cup history.
Event details:
- Date: Sunday, 27 August, 2017
- Time: 1pm to 3.30pm (with the official event ending at 2.30pm)
- Location: Edgewater Fan at the Tauranga CBD waterfront