However, there are three previous events that will serve to gauge the strength of the six teams, which are the preliminary regattas. The first two will be this 2023 and will take place in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Garraf, Barcelona) and jeddah (Saudi Arabia). The last preliminary will also be in the Catalan capital in August 2024.
But where the countdown is already a reality is in vilanova. There is less than a month left for the squads of Emirates Team New Zealand (defending champions), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland), American Magic New York Yacht Club (United States), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy), Ineos Britannia ( United Kingdom) and Orient Express Racing Team (France) show their form at sea. On this occasion, they will all compete on equal terms because they will have exactly the same boat, an AC40 without modifications, with the design established by the organization, America’s Cup Events (ACE).
It will be, then, in the waters of the Garraf where you can enjoy this 37 edition of the America’s Cup of sailing, in a welcoming environment full of charisma. The dimensions of the port and the proximity of the Ribes Roges beach, from where the public will be able to watch the regattas for free, suggest a great success. Some estimates say that about 20,000 people a day will gather.
The appointment is in less than a month, between September 14 and 17. The six teams will have left their newly opened bases in Barcelona for a few days, where do they train for weeks or months. They will fight aboard monohulls that are also propelled by ‘foils’ (hydrofoils) in which there are four crew members and that can reach 50 knotsabout 100 kilometers per hour.
In the XIX century, Vilanova i la Geltrú it was known as ‘Havana Xica’ or ‘Little Havana’ and today it is one of the main capitals of the country’s popular and traditional culture. Els Tres Tombs and the town’s carnival, declared a Heritage Festival of National Interest, are some of the events that have turned the capital of Garraf into a first-rate tourist destination. The promenade, with numerous colonial-style buildings, coexists with the fishermen’s houses, the Rambla, the social and commercial center of the city, its wide gastronomic offer of fish and shellfish and the famous ‘xató’ dish.
This combination of heritage and maritime link, beyond its proximity to Barcelona (it is 45 kilometers away and well connected), was what led ACE to choose it for the preliminary regatta in September. The cutting-edge technology of the oldest sports competition in the world will also have some exceptional guests, the sailing skates, a catamaran from Catalonia dating from the middle of the last century and which will hold an exhibition regatta. More than 100 of them are expected to participate.
ACE Executive Director, Grant Daltonhas applauded that these boats join the celebration, in another example of the collaboration in the water of different disciplines and companies that grow the blue economy.
The careers They will take place on Friday 15, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., while on Thursday 14 there will be training sessions in the regatta area. Activities in the space known as race village They will start at 11:30 a.m. and continue until 8:00 p.m. every day of the event. There will be large screens, concerts, animation, talks about the world of sailing, a gastronomic area, a shop, among other things.
the whole event It’s free and it is not necessary to buy tickets. However, those who do not travel to Vilanova will be able to follow the preliminary through the website of the 37th edition of the Copa América, television or YouTube.
To help everything go according to plan will be the volunteers. In this first preliminary there will be 350 people who have enrolled in the program and that they will participate in the field of land, in the water or in the relationship with the media. They will be men and women over 18 years of age who have availability and desire so that everything goes smoothly. In Barcelona, 2,300 volunteers will be needed in 2024.