MOLTES GRÀCIES BARCELONA – THE JEWEL IN THE SUN

It was Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, better known as the architect Le Corbusier, who said: “Allow me to state here how much I love Barcelona, an admirable city, a city full of life, intense, a port open to the past and future,” and how right he was. Barcelona welcomed the world with open arms and provided a spectacular regatta of extraordinary proportions.

Key to the success of the event were the 2,100 volunteers who worked tirelessly to deliver excellence at every touchpoint and who epitomised the spirit not only of Barcelona as a city, Catalonia as a region, and Spain as a country, but of the America’s Cup itself. They were the lifeblood of the event, known as the ‘green wave’ for their stand-out uniforms, but their contribution was immense and the sense of gratitude from the organisers is unquantifiable.

Things got underway on August 22 with the start of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta that gave some early indication of form, as the awesome new-generation AC75s were pitted against each other for the very first time. Speeds were off the charts – unseen before in modern racing boats – and the racing was tight with the favourites, Emirates Team New Zealand, ultimately topping the leaderboard.

Meanwhile, the Paris Olympic Games were concluding and medals were being scooped at the Marseille sailing venue by future protagonists of the UniCredit Youth and Puig Women’s America’s Cup events. Barcelona came alive as the Women and Youth sailors arrived in town and Badalona to the north quickly became their vibrant epicentre. The buzz and sheer enthusiasm around the first-ever women-specific America’s Cup event was palpable as experience was hoovered up and the brightest of pathways to the elite end of the sport of sailing, began to be lit.

As the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta unfolded, elsewhere in the virtual world a bold new initiative was coming to fruition. The AC e-Series attracted a new, vibrant and skillful audience to the America’s Cup, battling away online at ultra-competitive qualification rounds to seal a Grand Final place in Barcelona and the chance, not only to scoop a share of a €50,000 prize pot, but also the unique opportunity to race an AC40 in real life.

Two outstanding young New Zealanders – Liam Dimock (aka Esailing Central) and Robbie Woolridge (aka Booshify) – made it all the way to the business end and very nearly won the real-life race against the NYYC American Magic Women’s crew.

Ahead of the Louis Vuitton Cup beginning, the helmsmen from the six competing teams attended a nervy Press Conference, where they each set out their stalls for the racing to come. They collectively promised action and no-holds-barred racing – a commitment on which they very much delivered.

On the opening day the King of Spain, His Majesty Felipe VI boarded a hydrogen support vessel, one of the key sustainability projects of the event, and was witness to an early win by Emirates Team New Zealand over the Italian, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team.

That evening, however, the first major drama of the regatta occurred with the Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 ‘Taihoro’ being dropped from a six-metre height onto its cradle whilst it was being craned out of the water. The Kiwi shore team and boatbuilders instantly jumped into action, burning the midnight oil, to effect repairs. It was a remarkable recovery that saw the boat back racing 48 hours later.

The racing continued in the opening two Round Robin stages of the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series that eventually saw the French entry, Orient Express Racing Team, exit the competition first. Meanwhile, the early front-runners Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had to settle for second place on the final day after a technical issue and then a loss to the eventual winner INEOS Britannia in a sail-off decider race. The British Challenger of Record elected to take on Switzerland's Alinghi Red Bull Racing in the Semi-Finals, leaving the Italians to face off against NYYC American Magic.

With the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup set within the Barcelona summer of sailing, ahead of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals the supporting yacht club – the beautiful Real Club Náutico de Barcelona – hosted its annual Puig Vela Clàssica Regatta with the arrival of some of the truly historic yachts of the America’s Cup, the 12 Metre Class. As a sight and a juxtaposition to the 50 knot foiling craft of today, the 12 Metres were sublime, with names like French Kiss, New Zealand KZ7, Kookaburra, Crusader and South Australia alongside the vintage era 12’s of Northern Light, Vim and Jenetta. It made for a fabulous spectacle and some great racing. 

With the Semi-Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup going the way of INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, prior to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup sprung to life with the six AC40s all decked out in a striking UniCredit livery. What we saw unfold in this highly competitive regatta was some of the closest and most dynamic racing of the summer.

All the crews across two groups – Group A representing the America’s Cup teams and Group B, the Invited Teams, representing clubs from Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain – put on impressive performances.

However, two outstanding helming talents emerged in the form of Marco Gradoni representing Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Harry Melges representing New York Yacht Club American Magic. Their single winner-takes-all match race final symbolised a passing of the generational baton with Gradoni emerging victorious but igniting a rivalry with his American opposite number that is surely set to run and run for many America’s Cups to come.

The Louis Vuitton Cup Final, meanwhile, caught the zeitgeist as Great Britain and Italy went toe-for-toe over the first eight races in stunning Mediterranean conditions. There was nothing to separate them until INEOS Britannia hit a rich vein of form and went on a three-race winning spree to become the first British Challenger to contest the Match since 1964. In doing so, they became first to lift the new Louis Vuitton Cup trophy and ignited the hopes of a nation that has never won the America’s Cup since its inaugural race around the Isle of Wight on August 22 1851.

With those celebrations raging, the Port Olímpic became the centre of the sailing world as the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup sprung into life with a unique, fresh, vibrancy that captivated fans all around the world. The female athletes came to Barcelona eager to gain valuable foiling time in the AC40s and to set a course for full integration into future America’s Cup teams. What was achieved in Barcelona was remarkable, with racing across both the America’s Cup teams and the Invited Teams groups close, tense and highly skilled.

When the regatta unfolded, two teams were left to battle it out who had fought so hard and with great consistency to make it to what was a worthy Puig Women’s America’s Cup Grand Final. Athena Pathway, representing Great Britain and led by Hannah Mills OBE, took on the exceptional talent of Giulia Conti and Margherita Porro for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in a tense single match race that was decided by the slenderest of margins.

The Final went the way of the Italians as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli scored a remarkable double victory across the Youth & Women events – a testament to Italy’s immense emerging talent looks set to serve the country well at a future America’s Cup. The scenes of jubilation at the Race Village were fitting for the conclusion of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup and the immense fan engagement as young girls applauded their heroes with abandon, is a lasting legacy of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.

On the evening of Thursday October 10 a stunning opening ceremony at Bogatell Beach featured a cultural performance by leading local performers along with a 1,000-strong drone light show and saw Barcelona depicted as ‘The Lighthouse to the World’. This glitz and glamour set the scene perfectly for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup as the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand took on the Challenger of Record INEOS Britannia in a first-to-seven-points series. The Cup holders came out strong on the opening three days to score four consecutive wins with a demonstration of the ruthless determination that typifies this outstanding sports team.

As that action unfolded, on the near horizon the J Class – the grand dames of the America’s Cup that contested the event in the pre-War era of 1930 to 1937 – reminded everyone of a different time of grace and power. Three of these amazing yachts filled the Port Vell and contested a thrilling series in a wide-variety of conditions with the Swedish yacht Svea taking home the silverware but Rainbow and Velsheda gave close quarter to win races and keep the contest tight to the bitter end.

The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match, having initially looked set to be a one-way contest, twisted and delighted on the fourth day of racing as momentum shifted the way of INEOS Britannia who chalked up two race wins in choppy, difficult conditions that set the Port Vell ablaze with gossip and intrigue ahead of a lay day.

For 24 hours, there was suspense as fans jetted in from around the world to see what would, either way, be an historic event. If INEOS Britannia could carry forward their hard-won gains and seal the series, it would be the first time in 173 years that the America’s Cup returned to British waters, meanwhile if Emirates Team New Zealand won, they would become the first singular team to win the America’s Cup three times in a row. It was a storyline for the very best of thrillers.

The Kiwis, smarting from the two race defeats came out on Day 5 with a determination that was unstoppable. Scoring two race wins and advancing to Match-point, took the wind out of INEOS Britannia’s sails and all was set for a final day showdown.

Saturday 19 October will live long in the memory as Emirates Team New Zealand established a lead and then saw it whittled away to nothing by the end of the second windward leg before out-thinking the British in shifting conditions and winning by 37 seconds. It was a fitting way for the team to re-write the history books and become the first team to win the America’s Cup three times in a row – an outstanding achievement by an outstanding team.

The final weekend of racing saw colourful crowds thronging the Race Village and the FanZones at the Plaça del Mar and Bogatell beach where they were treated to not only the spectacle and majesty of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match but further with the arrival of a record number of more than 350 Patí de Vela beach-launched catamarans that filled the racecourse ahead of racing throughout the final weekend. The connection between this unique local class and the America’s Cup is strong, again fusing the grassroots of sailing with the apex of the sport and delivering images that epitomise the summer of sailing in Barcelona.

In bringing the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup to Barcelona, Emirates Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron enacted a bold vision for a multi-disciplinary event whilst keeping true to the traditions and values of the America’s Cup, the longest, continually contested sporting competition in the world.

In Barcelona the America’s Cup found a true partner, rich in culture, friendliness and a can-do attitude. Barcelona delivered an incredible, memorable and foresightful Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup that has sign-posted a bright future and a sustainability that will have a long-lasting effect on future regattas. It was bold, it was colourful and it delighted on every metric and measure. Barcelona became the centre of world sailing for the late summer of 2024 and the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup leaves a legacy and a blueprint for all future events. 

‘Moltes Gràcies Barcelona,' you were magnificent. The fusion of culture, gastronomy, camaraderie and bonhomie were remarkable. The ‘Lighthouse to the World’ as the stunning opening ceremony was themed, shone brightly and will live long in the memory for all that were fortunate enough to be there.

 (Magnus Wheatley)