In February 2020, the Queenstown Lakes District Council obtained a formal proof judgement from the High Court against Auckland businessman Geoff Hunt, which ultimately declared former America’s Cup yacht NZL14 had been "abandoned" under a section of the Maritime Transport Act 1994.
Under that section, a "regional council" may remove, store, sell or otherwise dispose of any ship within its waters which has been abandoned by the owner.
The matter returns to the High Court next Wednesday when a procedural hearing will to determine whether or not the QLDC should have declared a piece of New Zealand’s maritime history abandoned.
The yacht, part of the Team NZ challenge for the 1992 America’s Cup, skippered by Sir Russell Coutts, which raced in San Francisco, was originally brought to Queenstown from Auckland by Sail Queenstown Ltd in 2005 — that company stopped operating in 2010.
Mr Hunt bought it in 2017 for an undisclosed sum, and then in April, 2019, NZL14 was purchased by NZL14 Youth Aid Foundation, through its trustee, NZL14 Youth Aid Ltd, directors of which are Mr Hunt and Peter Watkins, of Tauranga.
After deeming the yacht abandoned, in May, 2020, the council called for expressions of interest from parties wanting to remove it last March.
In November it signalled its intention to remove and dispose of NZL14 - consigning it to the knacker’s yard.
However, in the week or so prior, Mr Hunt sought the council’s agreement to wait while other options were investigated.
The council did not agree, so Mr Hunt sought, and obtained, an interim injunction, and then applied to set aside the 2020 High Court judgement.
That was on the basis Mr Hunt was not the owner of the boat.
He contended the 2020 judgement was therefore "irregularly obtained" because he was not the owner of NZL14, and the owner was not a named defendant.
He also rejected the yacht had been abandoned.
