Ever since making the controversial decision to hold the next America’s Cup in Barcelona, Spain, instead of in home waters, Defender Emirates Team New Zealand has been hard at work organizing logistics for the event.
The Racing Area for the Challenger Selection Series and the America’s Cup Match is south of the city along Barcelona’s beachfront providing a coastline gallery for onshore spectators. For those on spectator boats, a racing exclusion zone will be in place for the duration of the event to ensure the safety of all involved.
The 37th America’s Cup Match will be a best-of-13 format (first to seven) and is scheduled to start on Saturday 12 October with two races the next day.
Race organizers hope to have racing concluded over the weekend; however, the schedule does allow for racing to continue into the next week from October 21 through October 27 on reserve days if required.
Speaking about the format announcement, Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Events Limited commented: “We are excited to confirm the dates determining the match racing period and our huge thanks go to the Capitán Marítimo and the Port of Barcelona authority who have been so pro-active and accommodative throughout the process. This is a significant event to plan for, with safety concerns at the top of the list for both spectators and competitors. I think the result is going to be something pretty spectacular with racing taking place in front of the beach, along the coast from the main port entrance right along the coast, past Port Olímpic and out further east, offering a fantastic viewing opportunity for the public to see these remarkable boats at full pace.”
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