Spithill and Barker to face off at Auckland Match Racing Cup

The Auckland Match Racing Cup, the final major yachting regatta on the international sailing calendar before the 2007 America’s Cup, starts in just two weeks’ time – running from Wednesday, January 24 to Sunday, January 28.

The public will be able to watch the intense quick-fire yacht races featuring ten world-class skippers free-of-charge and just metres from the action by coming down to the Harbour Bridge-end of Westhaven Marina, Auckland.

Attractions will include a purpose-built grandstand, food and drink stalls, free carparking and the opportunity to see some of the world’s top sailors competing in this grade-one event including Dean Barker of Emirates Team New Zealand and James Spithill of Italian team Luna Rossa.

Racing starts at 10am each day and features twenty-minute round-robin races and approximately twenty-five races a day.

Semi-finals will take place on Saturday, January 27 and finals will take place on Sunday, January 28. The event has a lucrative $US50,000 prize pool.

Spectators can go to www.aucklandmatchracingcup.co.nz for location details, directions and latest information.

Event organiser, Dave Stewart, said it is the last chance to see team members from two of the teams tipped to win the America’s Cup regatta before they compete in Valencia: Dean Barker from Emirates Team New Zealand and James Spithill from Luna Rossa.