After the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, the America’s Cup is third on the list of the international sporting events that have the greatest beneficial impact on the host country or city. Barcelona will be the venue for the 37th edition, and as well as the competition itself the city will also be hosting the official opening ceremony, the final preliminary event and the Challenger Selection Series in the lead up to the America’s Cup Match in October 2024. Moreover, there is potential for up to three preliminary events in 2023 and early 2024. All the teams will have established their bases by summer 2023, and will be able to start training in the local waters.
For the first time in its 171 year history, there will be a specific Women’s America’s Cup Regatta: the Women’s &YouTube America’s Cup, which will be held in the Olympic Port area. The sports facility will be completely transformed to accommodate all the participating teams as well as the hydrogen-powered foiling chase boats project called ‘Hydrogen’, which will become an excellent example of environmental, sustainability and blue economy for the global maritime industry. One of the confirmed boats will be Emirates Team New Zealand’s Chase One.
The refurbishment of the Olympic Port will not be the only infrastructural initiative to be implemented for the occasion of the competition. With the consolidation of Barcelona as a worldwide point of reference for sailing and the blue economy, a programme of legacy projects is being prepared that will reach beyond the competition, laying the foundations for the future of both the city and the country. One of these initiatives will be the creation of an informative and experiential space dedicated to the America’s Cup and its history, teams, science and innovation, with an area for children, interactive simulations and an IMAC experience on board an AC75 with a 600-square-metre screen.
The body that will facilitate the development plan for the event and the legacy projects locally will be the Fundació Barcelona Capital Nàutica (FBCN), which is formed by the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona City Council, the Port of Barcelona, the Barcelona Tourist Board, the Barcelona Provincial Council, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Barcelona Global association.