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Following a flying visit to Warkworth on September 18, the oldest trophy in international sport is now winging its way to Barcelona in time for the 37th America’s Cup, which starts on October 12.
Warkworth Primary students were the first to welcome the Auld Mug to town, when they learned about its history, as well as hearing first-hand about winning it from former Team New Zealand bowman Joey Allen, who was in the triumphant team twice, in1995 and 2000.
The students also signed the Sail of Support, which will be presented to Emirates Team New Zealand ahead of this year’s event, and Year 6 kapa haka students honoured the cup with the school haka.
The America’s Cup was next taken to Warkworth Toyota, where hundreds of members of the public took the opportunity to see it up close and take photos.
The final stop of the day was Sandspit Yacht Club (SYC), where some 250 club members and locals passed through the clubrooms to stand proud beside the iconic trophy. A welcoming speech by Vice Commodore Robert Jones set the scene, followed by 15-year-old Chris Gilpin, who spoke about the sailing pathway he had taken, from grassroots at SYC and college teams to now sailing in this week’s inaugural Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) Kiwi Cup Regatta.
Images and video from the Toyota Kiwi Cup Tour have been sent to Barcelona and shared with Emirates Team New Zealand at their morning briefings by RNZYS general manager Sarah Wiblin, who said the support shown was really appreciated.
“The entire team is working around the clock to get ready for the first race,” she said. “The support from Warkworth, as well as the rest of New Zealand, is exactly the kind of motivation that spurs them on to bring the cup home”.
During the tour, the cup travelled 4500km, with 68 stops and more than 20,000 photographs taken.
