The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup kicks off in Barcelona this Thursday 22 August and will run until 21 October.
Situated around Port Vell and along the beach to Port Olímpic, the sailing world has made Barcelona their home for what promises to be one of the most intense America’s Cups in the event’s 174-year history.
America’s Cup History
The America’s Cup is the oldest trophy in sports, taking place every three to four years. Its origins date back to 1851 when the schooner ‘America’ crossed the Atlantic from New York as a representative of American yachting ingenuity, with the intention of challenging the best of the British fleet in speed trials. The ‘America’ was a sensation, winning a race around the Isle of Wight in the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Annual Regatta on 22 August 1851 for what was then known as the £100 Cup.
In over 170 years of the America’s Cup history, just four nations (United States, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland) have won the trophy.
The British, having challenged the most, have never won the Cup that they first initiated. Challenges by teams from Italy, France, Spain, South Africa, Germany, Japan, China, and Sweden in the modern era of the Cup have, in some cases, come close but never won. It remains one of the hardest competitions to win in international sports.
The New York Yacht Club, one of the most prestigious clubs in the world, held the trophy for 132 years before losing it in 1983 to Australia. The current Defender of the America’s Cup is Emirates Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
The winner of the America’s Cup Match earns the right to organise the subsequent edition — including choosing the location, the date, the rules and deciding the design of the competing boats in agreement with the Challenger of Record.
Who is racing?
The holders of the America’s Cup are Emirates Team New Zealand, but some strong competition is coming for them, with INEOS Britannia, from the UK as the ‘Challenger of Record’. The unique format of the Cup affords the Defender, as the holder of the America’s Cup, the automatic right to bypass selection and proceed directly to the final ‘Match’ whereas the Challengers will undertake an intense multi-race series of round-robins to find the top yacht to take on the New Zealand team.
Confirmed entries are: INEOS Britannia (UK), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy), NYYC American Magic (USA) and Orient Express Racing Team (France).
Every team for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup is unique. The design of their boats and the technology they employ will be bespoke and highly refined, the result of tens of thousands of hours of computer and on-water testing. The sailors are the very best on the planet drawn from the worlds of the Olympic Games and high-performance foiling. Some are at their peak, others are still endeavouring towards their peak whilst for some, this is their first America’s Cup.
Key Race Dates in Barcelona
Between 22 August and 21 October, the key race dates are as follows:
- 22-25 August – Preliminary Regatta Barcelona
- 29 August to 8 September – Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robins
- 14-19 September – Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Final
- 26 September to 5 October – Louis Vuitton Cup Final
- 12 October to 21 October – Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match
- 17-26 September – UniCredit Youth America’s Cup
- 5-13 October – Puig Women’s America’s Cup
Preliminary Regatta Barcelona
This week, therefore, sees the Preliminary Regatta take place from Thursday to Sunday, 22-25 August, and all eyes will be on Barcelona for the opening ceremony before racing starts.
During 2023, two previous Preliminary Regattas were raced: in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Catalonia), from 14-17 September 2023, and in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) from 29 November to 2 December 2023. This week’s Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona is the final one. Teams compete in AC40 yachts in the first two events and will compete in the AC75 in the third. These Preliminary Regattas give an early indication of speed and form among the competing teams.
The Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selection Series) will follow, leading up to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Match that will start on 12 October and will feature the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup against the Defenders, Emirates Team New Zealand.
Where to watch and enjoy the America’s Cup
Situated along the Moll de la Fusta on the northern side of the Port Vell, the Race Village will be the must-visit attraction for all fans and spectators coming to the event. Free to enter, the Race Village will be the heart of the event with daily post-race sailor interviews on the main stage one hour after racing, four jumbo-screens to watch all the day’s action with expert commentary plus a host of sponsor activations, gastronomic delights to suit all tastes and budgets, and a celebration of music, art, culture and design all in a space of some 24,500 square metres, with a capacity for 9,500 people.
In addition there will be dedicated America’s Cup Corners, America’s Cup sponsor activities, as well as Host Venue Partners ‘Vila del Mar’ exhibits in the Fan Zones and at the Race Village where visitors can immerse themselves in the regatta, its rules, history, competing teams and sailor profiles.
There are also more Fan Zones closer to the water, in Plaça del Mar and around Bogatell. The regattas will take place between 2pm and 4pm, depending on the weather conditions of the day, and can be followed from Barcelona’s beaches with the naked eye.
The main Race Village along the Moll de la Fusta will open on Thursday 22 August for the four days of the Preliminary Regatta, and will then re-open from 29 August and be open every day until the end of the competition in late October. The Race Village will also be open when there is no racing, showing replays from previous days’ racing. The planned format and schedule for the Race Village is as follows:
- 12:00–14:00 (local time) – Pre-Race show with all the build-up to the day’s racing
- 14:00–16.30 – Live racing with full expert commentary (on race days)
- 16:30–18:00 – Entertainment followed by sailors’ interviews one hour after the day’s racing has concluded
- 18:30 – Live music sessions and entertainment
- 18:30–22:00 – Evening entertainment show, live music, local culture and gastronomy
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