The Auckland Harbour Crossing, also called the Sovereign Harbour Crossing after the sponsoring company, is an annual

ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...

swim event / race in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand. It involves a swim across the

Waitematā Harbour The Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is matched on the southern side of the city ...

, with the route going from locations like either Stanley Bay or Bayswater on the North Shore to the finish in the Viaduct Basin in the Auckland city centre. 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),
Man dies in harbour swim
' – ''

The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation in New Zealand, ...

'', Sunday 6 November 2005 and once in 2009.
Competitor dies in cross-harbour swim
' – ''

'', Sunday 22 November 2009 The event attracts amateur swimmers as well as professional athletes. Some celebrities have also taken part, such as

Rodney Hide Rodney Philip Hide (born 16 December 1956) is a former New Zealand politician of the ACT New Zealand party. Hide was a Member of Parliament for ACT from 1996 until 2011, was ACT's leader between 2004 and 2011, and represented the constituency ...

, who however twice failed to succeed in his attempts at completing the event.
Hide has that sinking feeling ... again
' – ''

'', Sunday 22 November 2009

References

{{Reflist

External links

Harbour Crossing, Auckland
(event website) Sport in Auckland Swimming in New Zealand Swimming competitions in New Zealand Open water swimming 2004 establishments in New Zealand Recurring sporting events established in 2004