25 FEBRUARY 2010

NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 22

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:

Conditions and Requirements

General Designated Area

The following conditions and requirements must be complied with in the general designated area:

1. All vessels not subject to an exemption issued by the Auckland 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;
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 VHF channel 27.

The decision on which course to use is dependant on wind direction and is likely to be made only an hour before racing begins.

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.

The following conditions and requirements must be complied with inside the race course areas:

1. Only competing yachts, vessels used by the Race Committee, umpires and course marshals, emergency vessels and vessels accredited by the event organisers or the Auckland Harbourmaster may navigate within the race course area during the period of racing operations for that day;
2. scheduled ferry services transiting the race area will, when necessary, and in agreement with the operating companies, be routed around the designated race areas for the day; and
3. all vessels must be navigated in accordance with Maritime Rules Part 22: Collision Prevention.

Other Conditions and Requirements

When the red course is in use all vessels must remain outside the lines of yellow Harbourmaster buoys that will demark the boundaries of the red course and areas of shallow water.

In all areas defined above the Auckland Regional Council may:

1. order the suspension or abandonment of racing operations if, in the opinion of the Auckland Regional Council’s Harbourmaster, adequate levels of public safety cannot be guaranteed. This power will be exercised in consultation with the New Zealand Police, the event organiser and Ports of Auckland Limited;
2. specify and vary conditions and requirements for the day-to-day management and conduct of activities within each area, for the purpose of protecting the safety of the public and competing yachts.

On race days the co-ordination and management of commercial shipping in Waitemata Harbour will be conducted jointly between the Auckland Regional Council’s Harbourmaster; the Race Committee; and the Shipping Operations Manager & Senior Pilot, Ports of Auckland Limited, in order to minimise any potential conflict between commercial shipping and operations surrounding the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland Series.

Racing may be delayed on occasions to allow the normal transit of commercial shipping and naval vessels to and from the Port of Auckland.

Hours of Operation

General hours of operation for the area covered by the proposed application are 0700 to 1900 hours (New Zealand Daylight Time) for the entire period from 5 March 2010 to 21 March 2010 inclusive.

These hours are subject to change and will be determined on a daily basis and notified to the public in advance.

The specific hours of operation will be announced on public broadcasting and marine communication channels.

Means of Enforcement

Compliance with the above conditions and requirements will be enforced by appointed enforcement officers, as defined in section 200B(6) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994.

Under section 200B(5) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994, any person in charge of a ship, craft or seaplane who contravenes this notice commits an infringement offence and is liable to the relevant penalty prescribed in the Act.