The ports of Auckland are at the forefront in planning and providing high quality berthing facilities specifically for large yachts visiting the region, not only for the races, but also the Olympics and the millennium. In anticipation of an influx of large yachts for the America’s Cup Races, 19 Unifloat® berths provided by Bellingham Marine New Zealand were installed.

A new design concept was applied to the floats, wherein a unique underwater “skirt” is cast as part of the concrete module, providing additional depth to the system for better wave attenuation. The berths range in size from 25 meters to 50 meters and are part of the massive redevelopment generated in Viaduct Harbour by the America’s Cup Races being hosted by New Zealand, the winners of the last Cup races.

The preliminary Louis Vuitton Races to choose the challenger to New Zealand began in Auckland in November. The America’s Cup finals are scheduled to begin at the end of January 2000. Graham Ade, general manager of Bellingham Marine New Zealand, said, “Bellingham Marine and Unifloat were chosen for this project because of its reputation for quality and innovation, not only in New Zealand but around the world.”

From Bellingham Marine, P.O. Box 8, Bellingham, WA 98227. Website: www.bellingham-marine.com. Unifloat®, Unideck® and Unistack® are registered trademarks of Bellingham Marine.