Auckland Harbour Crossing Swim
Encyclopedia
The Auckland Harbour Crossing, also called the Sovereign Harbour Crossing after the sponsoring company, is an annual ocean
swim event / race in Auckland
, New Zealand
. It involves a 2.8km swim across the Waitamata Harbour, with the route going from locations like either Stanley Bay
or Bayswater
in North Shore City to the finish in the Viaduct Basin
in Auckland City
. Entrants must complete the course in less than 105 minutes, but the winning competitors usually take little more than 30 minutes for the distance, though tidal currents and wave conditions may modify average times slightly.
The competition was first held in 2004 with about 500 entrants, and as of 2009, attracts more than 1,400 swimmers. The naming sponsor is Sovereign Limited
, a New Zealand insurance company which sponsors the 'Ocean Swim' series of swimming events.
The race, while attended by lifeguards and safety boats, and being managed so that shipping traffic in the harbour is stopped for the duration, is not without risk, and there have been two deaths among competitors, once in 2005 (suspected heart attack), and once in 2009. The event attracts amateur swimmers as well as professional athletes. Some celebrities have also taken part, such as Rodney Hide
, who however twice failed to succeed in his attempts at completing the event.
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
swim event / race in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It involves a 2.8km swim across the Waitamata Harbour, with the route going from locations like either Stanley Bay
Stanley Bay
Stanley Bay can refer to a number of locations:*Stanley Bay in Alexandria, Egypt*Stanley Bay, Hong Kong*Stanley Bay, New Zealand, a suburb of North Shore City in New Zealand....
or Bayswater
Bayswater, New Zealand
Bayswater is a suburb of Auckland City in New Zealand. It lies on a peninsula which juts into the Waitemata Harbour. The population was 2,307 in the 2006 Census, a reduction of 3 people from 2001....
in North Shore City to the finish in the Viaduct Basin
Viaduct Basin
Viaduct Basin is a former commercial harbour on the Auckland waterfront, now turned into a development of mostly upscale apartments, office space and restaurants. It is located on the site of a formerly run-down area of the Freemans Bay / Auckland CBD waterfront in Auckland City, New Zealand...
in Auckland City
Auckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
. Entrants must complete the course in less than 105 minutes, but the winning competitors usually take little more than 30 minutes for the distance, though tidal currents and wave conditions may modify average times slightly.
The competition was first held in 2004 with about 500 entrants, and as of 2009, attracts more than 1,400 swimmers. The naming sponsor is Sovereign Limited
Sovereign Limited
Sovereign Limited is a financial services company that provides life and health insurance, home loans, investment and superannuation products in New Zealand and is part of the ASB Group of companies.-History:...
, a New Zealand insurance company which sponsors the 'Ocean Swim' series of swimming events.
The race, while attended by lifeguards and safety boats, and being managed so that shipping traffic in the harbour is stopped for the duration, is not without risk, and there have been two deaths among competitors, once in 2005 (suspected heart attack), and once in 2009. The event attracts amateur swimmers as well as professional athletes. Some celebrities have also taken part, such as Rodney Hide
Rodney Hide
Rodney Hide is a New Zealand politician who was leader of the political party ACT New Zealand from 2004 to 2011. From 2005 to 2011 he represented the electorate of Epsom as its Member of Parliament. Rodney Hide was Minister of Local Government, Associate Minister of Commerce and Minister of...
, who however twice failed to succeed in his attempts at completing the event.
External links
- Harbour Crossing, Auckland (event website)