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BMW World Sailing Cup 2010 in Auckland New Zealand
The BMW Sailing Cup is considered the most prestigious amateur international title for keelboat sailors. Amateur crews compete in national regattas in their home countries to progress to the World Finals.
New Zealand won the right to host the event after the kiwi crew won the 2009 BMW Sailing Cup World Final in Italy, beating the Italian team, 3 - 2, in the finals of the best-of-5 match racing series which was contested in Bénéteau First Class 7.5 metre yachts.
The inaugural event was raced in association with the last America's Cup regatta in Valencia in 2007. BMW Group New Zealand, Managing Director, Mark Gilbert said the opportunity to host the International World Final in Auckland was too good to miss.
"Being a predominantly European competition, we have had to work hard to bring this regatta to the southern hemisphere which in itself is an enormous win for New Zealand sailing," said Mr Gilbert.
Mr Gilbert said the BMW Sailing Cup is the pinnacle of world amateur sailing.
"The BMW Sailing Cup offers amateur sailors the chance of a lifetime to participate in a world class regatta and pit their skills against the best that the rest of the world has to offer. The fact that New Zealand will host the next world final is expected to inspire more local crews to contest next year's BMW Auckland Regatta," he said.
The BMW Sailing Cup World Final will take place from 21 to 24 March. It will be preceded by the BMW Auckland Regatta and the New Zealand BMW Sailing Cup which will be held earlier in the year, with the victorious kiwi crew representing New Zealand in the World Finals. The New Zealand crew will meet the winners of the national competitions held in Germany, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and, for the first time, Hong Kong. This triplet of events is being jointly hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and the Bucklands Beach Yacht Club.