American billionaire Larry Ellison's arrival in Auckland is imminent if the sight of his mammoth superyacht moored in Viaduct Harbour is anything to judge by.
Zenji, a 56m floating palace that sleeps 14 guests, is reported to be worth 35 million - about $86 million.
Ellison is a
financial backer of the BMW Oracle America's Cup syndicate, skippered by Kiwi Russell Coutts, which is in Auckland to compete in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series sailing regatta.
His crew have brought the Zenji south from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, where yacht-spotters said it had been moored last month. It is believed to be the first time the two-year-old yacht has left the Mediterranean.
Ellison could be spending more time on New Zealand's shores in the future, according to reports from the Far North.
In a major coup for the New Zealand boat-building industry, it is expected the BMW Oracle syndicate will move its main boatbuilding operations from the United States to Warkworth, by the end of the year.
At the other end of the sailing spectrum, a tugboat race in the Waitemata Harbour will be one of the highlights of the annual Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta. The Regatta, which first took place in 1840, is expected to draw 500 boats and up to 2500 people on to the water for a series of races on Monday, according to event organiser Joyce Talbot.
