America's Cup underway with vibrant Pasifika flavour

vibrant Pasifika flavour

THE America’s Cup regatta got under way mid-October with a distinctly Pasifika flavor. The opening cere monies commenced to the sound of conch shell trumpets with the arrival of a Pacific Islands voyaging canoe. The opening con cert in the America’s Cup Village was a Pacific Islands showcase. The concert launched a Pasifika Week at the America’s

Cup village during which daily perfor

mances by Pacific Islands dancers and entertainers were enjoyed by the public.

The Auckland-based South Pacific Trade Commissioner, Parmesh Chand, said that the Pasifika input recognised Auck land s prominence as the biggest city of the South Pacific and its strong links with the Pacific Islands.

He said that the place given by the America’s Cup organisers to Pasifika was recognition of that place, and this was much appreciated in the Pacific Islands.

Chand paid credit to Captain Paiau Pirake and the crew of Te Au O Tonga, the double-hulled voyaging canoe which they sailed all the way from Rarotonga to Auck land for the opening ceremonies. He thanked Ngati Whatua for the warm wel come they had extended to the canoe since its arrival. He said that the canoe’s presence

at the world’s greatest sailing event was homage to one of humanity’s finest sailing traditions - the Pacific Islands voyaging canoes that were the first to people the islands of the Pacific Ocean.

Chand noted that many of the super yachts which were coming to Auckland for the America’s Cup would be going to the Pacific Islands as part of their South Pacif ic experience. He assured them of a warm welcome in the Islands and said that a Pasi fika Shop has now been opened in the America’s Cup Village to provide the super yachts and the general public with a facili tation service for visiting the Pacific Islands.

The opening concert at the Ameri ca’s Cup Village was billed as “Stars of the Pacific ’ and featured the Tokelauan group Te Vaka, recently returned from a success ful European tour. The concert also featured Classical Polynesia, Temaeva from Tahiti, Na Mag Banks from Vanuatu, the Cook Islands Tourism dance group, Fijian Methodist Choir and a finale of Samoan fire

dancing.

Chand said that he hoped the visitors to the America’s Cup Village had enjoyed the Pasifika input to the America’s Cup and encouraged the public to view the displays

mounted in the Pasifika Shop by the nation al tourism offices of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, and Vanu atu. He took the opportunity of the opening ceremonies to thank the Centre for the Development of Industry in Brussels and the Government of New Zealand for the aid funds they had supplied the South Pacific Trade Commission to assist in maximising economic benefits from America’s Cup Challenge for the Pacific Islands. ■