Auckland will host a stop in the Volvo Ocean Race during the 2011-2012 edition of the world's most gruelling offshore yachting event after as gap of 10 years.
The announcement completes the route for the 11th edition of the round-the-world event, which was launched in 1973 as the Whitbread race.
The race will start in its home base of Alicante in Spain and finish in Galway, Ireland, withe other stops atn Cape Town in South Africa, Abu Dhabi, Sanya in China, Itajai in Brazil, Miami, Lisbon and Lorient in France.
It will be the eighth time that Auckland, which has already hosted the America's Cup, will be a stop in the race.
Ten to 12 teams are expected to take part with no word yet on whether there'll be on from New Zealand.