This year the America’s Cup will be held in Barcelona. The America’s Cup is a prestigious yachting race. The first America’s Cup was held in 1851. It was an international yachting race around the Isle of Wight organized by the British Royal Yacht Squadron. The American yacht competing, called ‘America’ won the race, which is how the race got its name. The America’s Cup is now the oldest international competition still operating in any sport.
The America’s Cup is a race between two teams. One of these teams is the challenger and they compete against the defender. The defender is the team currently holding the trophy. The challenger is decided through a series of races leading up to the America’s Cup. The America’s Cup is held on a date agreed between the defender and the challenger but usually, this race is held every three to four years.
The America’s Cup will start on October 12th, 2024, and could run to October 27th, 2024 in case all the races should be needed to decide a winner. The teams are competing to be the first to win 7 races (but it could be best out of 13 in case the competition is tight).
The base camp for the racers and the race village will be in Port Vell in Barcelona which has already started changing to facilitate this big event.
Barcelona has a tradition of hosting these types of races and holding the race in such a significant city should boost the growth on the global sporting stage. It will most probably result in big economic growth for Barcelona.
With such a big event there are obviously lots of activities. We will highlight some of the most important ones. These activities will already start in May and will last until after the race finishes in October
The first activity we would like to highlight is the special edition of the classical music concert at the beach with Gustavo Dudamel and Ludovic Morlot. There will be two big open-air concerts open to everyone. The second most notable activity is the big havanera singing gathering “Barcelona cara al mar”. The last special activity is the ceremony from the beach shortly before the race final. It is a highly impressive and visual spectacle open to all.
For the sailing enthusiasts:
Museums: Learn more about the history of sailing races in special expositions.
Libraries: Go to talks, debates, and workshops about the sea and the sports related to the sea.
Cultural institutes: Go have a look at the workshops and family activities to get in the sailing mood.
For the food enthusiasts:
Tasta a la Rambla: This event will feature the cuisine of 12 different countries participating in the race.
Street Food Market Barceloneta: Will be featured on multiple weekends for you to enjoy some classic catalan sea food dishes and more.
Poblenou Wine Festival: Ready for you to enjoy some classic wines while enjoying the race ambiance.
To get in the mood for the race finale you can enjoy the biggest every display regatta of Catalan catamarans. These are also called ‘Patins de Vela’.