Team New Zealand doesn't want an America's Cup celebration parade, but Auckland's mayor and the minister responsible for the Cup are both keen for one.
Team New Zealand flight controller Blair Tuke lifts the America's Cup. Photo: ACE | Studio Borlenghi
Team NZ have asked for there not to be a ticker tape parade as it doesn't want Auckland Council and ratepayers to foot any more bills.
But Auckland Mayor Phil Goff told First Up the council had made an offer to have a parade and the government said it would pay for one.
"It's pretty much in the hands of Team New Zealand at this point, I think it'd be a great way of celebrating it. I was down there along with 40,000 other people at the cup village yesterday and then walked back along Quay Street and up Queen Street and the mood was fantastic.
"It felt a little bit like Christmas Eve, that feeling you have, the glow around it. People were proud of the team, they were proud of the fact that the city was able to host it even in the midst of Covid-19 and we definitely want it back again.
"That's up to Team New Zealand but we played our part in making it happen this time, as did government, and we hope that Team New Zealand are able to reciprocate."
The minister responsible for America's Cup support, Stuart Nash, told Morning Report the government would stump up money for a celebration parade if Team New Zealand wanted one.
"We are keen on it. We need to celebrate our successes. It's been 12 months of hard slog and you saw the scenes down at the Viaduct Basin yesterday. There were thousands of Kiwis down there celebrating success and it would be good to have a celebration. We've done this in the past," Nash said.
But Auckland yachtswoman Penny Whiting told Morning Report a parade wasn't necessary.
"I believe yesterday was a parade. They towed the boats through us yesterday and there were thousands of people out there on the boats and then it was all down the wharves of Auckland, the viaduct was a fabulous theatre, and the presentation of the Cup - it's almost like we've had it.
"[It was] quite difficult when it was in Bermuda and it came back to New Zealand - that deserved a ticker tape parade."
