Auckland back in focus

International match race yachting returns to Auckland with the Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta next month.

Now established on the yachting scene, the Auckland event, which opens the Auckland Festival of Sailing, is a great chance for young talent to mix it with the hardened veterans of the sport in an invitational field.

With the America's Cup issues resolved, top match-racing skippers are seeking to hone their skills in preparation for an expected multi-challenger event in 2013.

Auckland's event will be run by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and will take place off the Westhaven breakwater.

Skippers who have confirmed their participation are: Dean Barker (NZ – Emirates Team New Zealand), Ben Ainslie (Britain – Team Origin), Francesco Bruni (Italy – Azzurra Sailing Team), Sebastian Col (France – former Areva Challenge), Karol Jablonski (Poland – former Desafio Espanol), Magnus Holmberg (Sweden – former Victory Challenge), Chris Dickson (NZ – former BMW Oracle Racing), Bertrand Pace (France – former BMW Oracle Racing), Adam Minoprio (NZ – BlackMatch Racing), Torvar Mirsky (Australia – Mirsky Racing Team).

Races will be contested in identical Farr-designed MRX yachts and will be decided in a double round robin, semi-final and final. The semis and finals will be best-of-three matches.

A feature of the event will be its own radio station with Peter Lester providing analysis and coverage of the racing.

Following the regatta, the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland will be stage with five of the Omega skippers taking part.

The BMW Sailing World Cup final will be contested after the Trophy series.