Partners
The City of Wellington
Wellington, New Zealand, the capital city of a country many agree to be the sailing capital of the world, will play host to the Global Ocean Race in early 2012 continuing a long tradition of the country’s strong involvement in offshore ocean racing.
New Zealand has produced more top offshore sailors per capita than any other place on the planet and a good share of them cut their teeth sailing the windy waters of the Cook Strait, the narrow stretch of water that separates the North Island of New Zealand from the South Island.
The city itself, small by most standards, stands proud at the bottom of the North Island. It is surrounded by mountains and water, yet is one more example of the stunning beauty of a land the Maori call Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud.
The Global Ocean Race fleet will be berthed at Queen's Wharf in the heart of the city, a stone’s throw from superb restaurants, trendy bars and the TSB Arena complex. From here it is a short walk to the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, the host yacht club for the stopover and one that has welcomed globe-trotting sailors for decades.
Perhaps the best thing about Wellington is its facilities for boats. Although New Zealand is not quite halfway around the world for the fleet, it is halfway across the Southern Ocean and a perfect place to refit the boats. Most skippers will take advantage of the great services to haul their boats for a thorough check over.
