MULLET BOATS 100 NOT OUT
Many racing classes have a particular trophy that owners covet more than any other. But over long periods of time, the continuity of competition for such a trophy is usually interrupted (wars and gales spring to mind as likely causes); or classes die out and their trophies are allocated to other classes. Auckland’s 22ft (6.7m) Mullet Boats are a remarkable exception to both those trends because, in May of this year, they completed a century of unbroken annual competition for their own coveted trophy: the Lipton Cup.
It wasn’t until the 1880s that the term ‘Mullet Boat’ came into general use, but these local fishing boats had been developing since Auckland’s foundation in 1840, specifically for catching mullet in the estuaries within the Hauraki Gulf.
Over time they evolved into craft with common characteristics: mostly around 24ft (7.3m) long, generous beam for load-carrying and stability, a shallow draught with a centreboard to allow them to access the shallow waters where the mullet were, and a small cuddy to allow the crew (usually two, sometimes three) to occasionally sleep.
Once a boat reached the fishing grounds the crew would drop the sails, brail the boom up parallel with the mast and out of
