Upside Cup 2024

What an incredible day at the Upside Cup 2024! We had 11 sailing teams from across Tāmaki Makaurau join us for an afternoon of friendly competition on the water, and some fundraising fun. Although the calmer waters kept things a bit more relaxed than previous years’ nail-biting finishes, every team still brought their all, with fantastic energy, sportsmanship, and dedication to supporting Upside’s mahi.

Congratulations to The Brotherhood MERX!

A big round of applause goes to The Brotherhood MERX, who took home the trophy this year! Every team made the day memorable, and we couldn’t be prouder of each participant for the spirit and enthusiasm they brought to the event.  In second place we had Broad Reach and in 3rd Place was one of our sponsors boats, TMNZ.  Massive thanks to all the other teams participating in the race, which included Saxe Coburg, Gallagher, Tahua Partners, SortMe, High Performer Building, Greg Langton's (Board Chairman) Boat, TMNZ (boat 2), and First Foundation. 

 

Special Highlights

We were thrilled to have the amazing Petra Bagust as our MC, adding charm and energy to the day, and Murray Smith, who worked his auctioneer magic to help us reach a remarkable fundraising total. Thanks to the entry fees from the Upside Cup sailing teams, and generous donations from businesses, we raised over $40,000! This impressive amount will go directly towards supporting 12 mentoring matches for a full year—making a real difference in young people’s lives. Our special guests speaking at the event included two of our amazing volunteer mentors Ray and Yvonne who shared their experience of mentoring their young people.

Huge Thanks to Our Supporters

A huge shoutout goes to Tax Management New Zealand (TMNZ) for making the day possible, and being 100% invested in Aotearoa and our rangatahi!  

Our heartfelt thanks go to MRX Yachts, the incredible volunteer skippers, and The Royal New Zealand Yacht Club for their invaluable support in making the Upside Cup a success.

We’d also like to thank the generous businesses who donated items for the Silent Auction, including: Leanie Ferreira Photography, The RED Shed Candles, Eden Park, Flox, Great Journeys New Zealand, Interislander, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand, Cathy Davies Art, Chuan Spa Auckland, Paper Scissors Rock Salon, Glasshouse Fragrances, Roma Coffee Roaster, Josh Emett, Top Catch, New Zealand Maritime Museum, JoJo Body NZ, Huski, Waha Ridge Glamping , Street Organics Cafe (Takapuna) and Casa Tavaita.

And for our amazing Live Auction we'd like to thank the following businesses : 

Colart Miles for a Bespoke Business Innovation Workshop, Kent Morgan the Jeweller for some stunning diamond earrings, generous private donors of accommodation packages in Raglan, and Opito Bay.

Thanks to Trophy Centre North Shore for the donation of the Trophy beautiful engraving on the Upside Cup and Glengarry Wines for the celebratory champagne.

Galabid Silent Auction

A special thank-you to Barfoot & Thompson for sponsoring our Galabid Silent Auction. This was a fantastic addition to the day and a big help in raising even more funds for youth mentoring.

We can’t wait to set sail again next year! 

Check out more event photos by Daryl and Holly from Team Upside to relive the day.