The hard work and lead-up to the America’s Cup World Series Event in Newport is reaching a climax, with the AC45 catamarans having landed at their home bases at Fort Adams and the crews already starting to arrive in town. The fleet of inflatables is in the water and ready, the shipping containers are empty, and the team tents are bustling. Over the next twelve days, Newport Harbor is going to be the focus of yacht racing in North America, with Narragansett Bay once again in the spotlight for the first time in twenty-nine years.
For spectators, the action begins on Friday, June 22, with a kickoff event downtown that includes the Navy Band playing in Queen Anne Square, live improv at IYRS, and a film about the history of the America’s Cup and narrated by Gary Jobson. The race village at Fort Adams opens on June 23, giving visitors a great chance to see the early World Series practices and also watch the next generation of Cup racers take part in the Sail Newport Youth Regatta.
Cup teams will be practicing until June 26, when the first practice races are set to begin. Throughout all the days the exploration zone will welcome visitors young and old, while the chance to see the world’s top sailors up-close and personal will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Admission to Fort Adams is free in the practice days (June 23-27 and $10 for race days (June 28-July 1). Parking at Fort Adams, though, will cost you ten bucks on practice days and $20 on race days, so a better option is to take a water shuttle from downtown or from across the bay in Jamestown.
The first “real” races begin on June 28 and continue through July 1, when the overall champion of the America’s Cup World Series will be crowned. (Currently, Oracle Team USA-Spithill leads the rankings, but Emirates Team New Zealand is only four points behind and so the championship is truly still up for grabs.)
USHarbors will be posting periodic updates from the harbor and the town throughout the America’s Cup World Series in Newport, but if you can beg, borrow, or steal a way to get to Newport sometime between now and July 1, do it!
For the full list of events at the America’s Cup World Series in Newport, click here.
Photos of Cat Fever Takes Over Newport Harbor
