VILANOVA PRELIMINARY REGATTA – WELCOMING THE WORLD
With the first Preliminary Regatta on the road to the 37th America’s Cup being held in the picturesque, historic seaport of Vilanova i La Geltrú over the weekend of the 14-17th September 2023, it was the chance for the excitement to build, the organisers to fine-tune and the juggernaut that is the America’s Cup to begin in earnest. It was two and a half years since the last race at an America’s Cup event.
“These events do not happen by accident,” commented Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event, “the planning is extensive, but the execution is something that we can only really experience by actually doing it. We were supported magnificently by the Volunteers who came in their numbers, and we were delighted with the way the locals and visitors responded with a packed-out Race Village and thousands of spectator craft on the water. On balance, it was a terrific first event despite the weather and we can build into the Jeddah and Barcelona preliminary events with confidence.”
In total, 284 volunteers gave up their weekend to help the event across a vast array of on-water and onshore activations, assisting event staff with an enthusiasm that was infectious and ensured the smooth-running of the regatta. Around the event, some 350 companies were accredited as suppliers and that encompassed some 2000 staff and event workers who were engaged to facilitate across the waterfront of activities that took place over the four days of the event.
Broadcast, print and digital media from around the world came to Vilanova i La Geltrú with a total of 219 media professionals accredited representing 114 media outlets from 17 countries. European media from Austria, Spain, Switzerland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Poland were in attendance but so too, the global media with representations from Canada, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and of course, the United States of America.
Despite some apocalyptic weather on the opening Friday of the regatta, with torrential rains causing the abandonment of the first scheduled races, the on-water attendance was remarkable. With a registration process for spectator vessels instigated on the America’s Cup website to ensure safety and to deliver vital daily information on courses, a total of 1000 vessels of all shapes and sizes registered and on the racing days, it was estimated that over 500 attended the racecourse area to see the AC40s close-up. The Pati Catala Catamaran Regatta that ran over the weekend also saw some 210 sailors attend the venue, whilst 197 finished the racing – a record attendance for this unique class.
The Official Race Village being free-to-all and somewhere where anyone could simply drop in and experience the unique atmosphere of the America’s Cup. Large screens showed the racing whilst Estrella Damm provided an enormous bar facility with many more restaurants, activations and team presentations available alongside the Official 37th America’s Cup Merchandise Stall that did a roaring trade with long lines for the apparel. In the evening, the Race Village with a total area of some 8,000 square metres of which 5000 could be occupied by spectators and fans, reached its capacity as live entertainment from local musicians took to the stage to entertain crowds.
Speaking about the spectators and the Race Village, Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event, commented: “I was down in the Village on a number of occasions and the crowds were simply huge. What we didn’t know when we agreed to bring the America’s Cup here was how the public would respond and it has been a really fantastic to see just how engaged and enthusiastic the spectators are. It was a great scene and we can now look forward to the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, reassured that it’s going to be a real spectacle.”
