The America’s Cup: Challengers and Charters
The 37th America’s Cup heads to Barcelona for 2024, promising world-class sailing in a cosmopolitan city with Mediterranean cruising grounds on its doorstep.
Challengers and Charters
The most prestigious, certainly the oldest and the most exciting international sailing competition in the global sports calendar is heading to Barcelona for the first time this year. The city that once turned its back on the sea is hosting the 37th America’s Cup – where there is no second place – at superyacht facility, Marina Port Vell. It’s a fitting host city for a competition whose origins lie in gentlemen’s desire to prove their yacht’s capabilities.
The first recorded America’s Cup race took place in 1851. The RYS £100 Cup (informally known as the Auld Mug) was waged for a race between the New York Yacht Club's (NYYC) newly commissioned America and 15 yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron around the Isle of Wight, England. AMERICA, a 98’ (30m) schooner, was the product of a wager when George Shuyler (one of six founders of the NYYC) was challenged by East Coast boatbuilder William Brown to create a boat “faster than any vessel in the United States brought to compete with her” for the sum of $30,000.
True to form, AMERICA was radical, with a refined rigging arrangement, smaller sail area, and sleeker form than other yachts of her era. A total of 18 yachts entered the first Cup but only 15 made it to the starting line. Despite a slow start and amid some long-standing racing controversy, America’s cotton flat-cut sails laced to the spars and superior hull form saw her quickly pull through the fleet to victory.
Tradition dictates that America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts – the defender, the yacht club that currently holds the trophy, and the challenger, the yacht club that is challenging for the cup. This August, teams from the United States, UK, Italy, Switzerland, and France will compete in the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Series to determine who goes through to the final round against the current title holder and Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the America’s Cup Match in October.
Technological innovation, sustainability, and high performance sit at the heart of the event, and this year will see the teams race again in fully foiling AC75 monohulls. A string of outstanding venues bid to be the host, but it was Marina Port Vell’s “technical infrastructure, unique security, world-class facilities, and unbeatable location next to the regatta course” that won out, says Marketing and Communications Director, Marta Tuñi. It makes Barcelona the first venue in the world to host both an Olympic Games and an America’s Cup event.
“When thinking ahead to the 37th America’s Cup and the AC75s racing within a few hundred meters of the Barcelona beach, waterfront, and race village, it will be nothing less than spectacular,”
The city’s average wind range of 9-15 knots during the September and October race window also makes Marina Port Vell – a partner of IYC – the optimal choice, while its agreement with triple Michelin-starred chefs and brothers, Hermanos Torres, will offer a unique dining experience during the regatta period. More significantly, Port Vell’s recently completed €20 million two-year development includes 23 new berths for yachts up to 230’ (70m), an innovative landscaping project, and the creation of a new bunkering system. Alongside the classic J Class yachts competing in World Championships in October, an estimated 150 superyachts are expected to drop anchor throughout the race period, one of which is IYC’s popular charter vessel, 180’ (55m) MOSKITO.
“Chartering a yacht at the America’s Cup provides the most ideal platform right at the edge of the race course from which to view the yachts whizzing past and to entertain guests and clients, with top-end service and a private chef. Having a specialist race expert on board who can provide commentary on tactics and maneuvers, paired with live streaming, only adds to the experience.”
Drinking in the atmosphere of a sailing regatta from the deck of a yacht is an unparalleled experience anywhere in the world. IYC Charter Consultant and sailing enthusiast, Alice Newnham adds, “Chartering a yacht during the thrilling America’s Cup allows you to get up close with cutting-edge technology, and the sheer power of participating yachts. Witnessing these state-of-the-art yachts sail through the challenging course is a spectacle as they go ahead to head. Even if you are not particularly into sailing, it’s hard not to get behind your country or team!”
While the land-locked waters of Bermuda provided perfect race conditions, Barcelona’s open water setting combines an exhilarating sailing square with international accessibility, says IYC Charter Consultant, Carrie Freeman: “Barcelona is an exciting proposition from a charter perspective, not least because of its easy accessibility from major airports and world-class marina facilities, but also the number of yachts that will be available to charter for the Cup.”
In 2024, Barcelona boasts not just an extraordinary gateway to the America's Cup, offering a spectacular introduction to the world of elite yachting, but also the convenience of the start and/or end of a luxurious yacht charter. Already a renowned hub for superyachts in the Mediterranean, Barcelona and the Costa Brava welcome with golden beaches, medieval villages, and fishing towns, while the popular cruising grounds of the Balearics are just a day’s sail away.
HORIZONS Magazine
This article was a feature in the Spring/Summer Issue of HORIZONS Magazine. Curious to read more and discover the best sales and charter opportunities? The digital version of the magazine is available HERE .