It is difficult not to offer a short stopover on the New Zealand side at this time when the 36th America's Cup races will begin in Auckland Bay. With 23 lighthouses spread out along the very indented coastline of this country, I chose the Cape Palliser lighthouse because it marks the southern entrance to the passage between the two large islands of New Zealand, Cook Passage, and also because, graphically speaking, it needed a red and white striped lighthouse. The artist is thus made..
In any case, it would be possible to evoke the discovery of New Zealand or James Cook's first voyage aboard the Endeavour, a coalminer converted into an exploration vessel. Leaving on August 26, 1768, he will lead his expedition around the world until July 1771. There is a very beautiful replica of this ship. Construction of HMB Endeavour (Her Majesty Bark) began in 1988 and was completed in 1993. One of the first financiers to launch this reconstruction project, Alan Bond is none other than the president of the syndicate who put an end to 132 years of American supremacy in the America's Cup in 1983: for the first time, the challenger of the Royal Perth Yacht Club snatched the silver ewer from the New York Yacht Club, Australia II helmed by John Bertrand by winning 5 victories against 3 for the Cup defender, Liberty, helmed by Denis Connor.
They've changed a lot, the America's Cup boats since 1857. The latest improvements are in fact of the same order as those made to the new IMOCA boats: the hydrofoils. Let's bet that this technology will become even more reliable for offshore sailing.
