Sailing Away

All of Us , Music Video – 1986

In this video billowing sails and an impressive array of mid-80s celebrities (musicians, broadcasters, sportspeople) raise their voices in patriotic fervour, to rally support for the first Kiwi challenge for the America’s Cup: “in a boat just called New Zealand”. The bid failed, but ‘Sailing Away’ set a record for the most consecutive weeks at number one by a NZ artist (nine), until the arrival of Smashproof’s ‘Brother’ in 2009. The tune — borrowed from ‘Pokarekare Ana’ — remains both as a reminder of simpler times in the America’s Cup, and an era of questionable haircuts.

It's hard to write a good fundraising single, so the arrangers of this song just went ahead and stole the melody from 'Pokarekare Ana' instead. It certainly proves the strength of the melody of the original waiata, since the new lyrics are pretty insipid ("one people on the water, one people on the land, it's New Zealand all together, Kiwis working hand-in-hand")..
– Music writer Gareth Shute on feel good 1986 hit Sailing Away, AudioCulture