MAYOR OF BARCELONA WELCOMES YOUTH & WOMEN'S TEAMS AT PORT OLÍMPIC
The remarkable transformation of the Port Olímpic, the ‘nou’ port along the stunning Barcelona waterfront was a fitting place for the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, to officially welcome sailors of the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup.
With the AC40 yachts now on-site at the dedicated facility, and currently undergoing their livery changes ahead of training starting on Tuesday for the Youth Teams, Mayor Collboni, a fantastic supporter of the America’s Cup and all its related events, highlighted the importance of equality and diversity for Barcelona.
“The way the Women and Youth teams have been received, positions Barcelona and especially Port Olímpic as a benchmark in the sailing world. The city continues to work to make sailing an accessible sport for everyone. We don’t only want to be a benchmark in international competitions but also in the promotion of sailing and nautical activities among our people."
In the presence of Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Event, David Escudé, the Sports Commissioner of the Barcelona City Council, and Olga Cerezo, Director of the Port Olímpic among other authorities, the Mayor further thanked Grant Dalton for his vision and commitment.
Thanking the Mayor, Dalton expanded on the vision to create pathways into the elite level of the sport saying “We are seeing into the future with the Youth & Women. Olga Cerezo and the team have done an amazing job on the Port Olímpic in such a short amount of time with great support from the city and having the Mayor and all the representatives here is the endorsement of what has been achieved and also in particular, the diversity that we, as an event, stand for. Having the Youth and Women teams here right now is the accumulation of a lot of work and a lot of thinking.”
Port Olímpic is set to be a very busy place in the coming days with the next generation of high performance sailors all on site and determined to make an impact. Twelve teams in each regatta will compete and there’s a real buzz in the air all around the world-class Port Olímpic dockside.
Abby Ehler, Youth & Women’s Event Co-Ordinator (above, right) is looking forward to what’s coming saying: “Training starts on Tuesday with three planned days for the invited teams and a further one day of training for the established America’s Cup team representatives. The incredible facility at the Port Olímpic is the perfect venue for the world-class sailing that is about to unfold.
The re-branded AC40’s are nearly complete, and everything is set for some outstanding racing where we really will see the future stars of the America’s Cup. As pathway events, the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup are unrivalled, allowing the sailors to begin making their mark, and writing new chapters in the 173-year history of the America's Cup.”
(Magnus Wheatley)