About & Description

It's the City of Sails' Birthday on 29th January! Float your boat, bring the family to the waterfront and make it your big day out!

The event was first held on 18 September 1840 on the day our city was founded. It celebrates the arrival of Captain Hobson to our shores and marks a historic event when Ngati Whatua O Orakei invited English settlers to live on the land with them. It signifies the coming together of our people. Known as "the biggest one day Regatta in the world", it is one of the oldest sporting events on our country's calendar and precedes the first sailing of the America's Cup by 11 years. Since 1842 we have celebrated Auckland Anniversary Day in January, and the Regatta signifies what is quintessentially Auckland - our love and the link to the harbour.