NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 195

18 DECEMBER 2008

Transport

Maritime Transport Act 1994

Notice of Intention to Declare a Major Maritime Event

Pursuant to section 200A(3)(d) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994, I give notice that I have received from the Auckland Regional Council an application to declare the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series 2009 to be an event to which section 200B of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 applies for the period from 30 January 2009 to 14 February 2009 inclusive; and that I intend to make a declaration to that effect by notice in the New Zealand Gazette.

Proposed Area Affected by the Application

The area in respect of which the application is made is defined as follows.

General Designated Area

The area bounded in the north by an approximate east/west boundary between the north end of Takapuna Beach and Rangitoto Island around to an approximate north/south line from the Marine Rescue Centre to the North Shore.

Between Rangitoto Island and Bastion Point the boundary passes to the north of Bean Rock lighthouse.

The exact positions of the boundary points for the area in respect of which the application is made are set out below.

A map depicting the positions of the boundary points will be available at http://www.arc.govt.nz/environment/coastal-and-marine/harbourmaster/harbour-events.cfm.

Race Course Areas

Within the general designated area defined above there are four possible race courses.

Each course is diamond shaped and 1.54 nautical miles long and 1.54 nautical miles wide.

The exact positions of the boundary points for each course will vary as courses will be rotated depending on the wind direction on race day.

The centre points from which each course will be rotated are as follows:

Proposed Conditions and Requirements

General Designated Area

Within the area defined above, the following conditions and requirements will apply:

1. All vessels not subject to an exemption issued by the Auckland Regional Council’s Harbourmaster are restricted to a maximum speed of 12 knots;
2. no vessel may approach within 100 metres of any regatta yacht;
3. recreational and smaller commercial craft may transit the general area to which the application applies (excluding any race course in use) freely when entering or leaving the harbour, or observing the racing from a safe distance; and
4. the wake provisions of the Auckland Regional Council Navigation Safety bylaw 3.25 will apply at all times. This may mean that recreational vessels will need to reduce their speed below the 12 knot maximum to comply in the vicinity of the race course in use.

Race Course Areas

The race course to be used on any given day will be publicly announced on an appropriate designated VHF channel, and other associated VHF sports channels.

The boundaries of the course in use will generally be marked by buoys and anchored launches with flags but specific details of boundary markings will be publicly announced via a supplement published in the New Zealand Herald prior to the regatta. Additional supplements will also be available to the public.

Inside the race courses it is proposed that the following rules will apply:

1. Only competing yachts, vessels used by the race committee, umpires and marshals, emergency vessels and vessels accredited by the event organisers or the Auckland Regional Council’s Harbourmaster may