All the eyes of the sailing world converged from 14 to 17 September on the preliminary regatta in Vilanova i la GeltrVilanova i la Geltr, with the American team NYYC American Magic being the winner of this first edition.
We previewed this competition a few days ago in Horse to give a preview of what the six teams were going to experience during the three days of the event. And of those teams, it was the American team that came out on top in the America’s Cup regatta.
The Hundred Guineas Jarrah the most coveted trophy in sailing
It is the oldest sporting trophyin the world (dating back to 1851) and the teams that have participated have always been backed by the biggest fortunes in the world, from Vanderbilt to Lipton, Ted Turner to Larry Ellison. This has led to all the advances in the world of sailing being developed in the America’s Cupthanks to its inexhaustible budgets for design, technology and innovation.
The teams participating in the 2024 edition have an average budget of 100 million euros, more than half of which is dedicated exclusively to the design and construction of the boat with which they will compete, in this case the spectacular AC75: a 75-foot monohull (about 21 metres) that flies supported only by appendages called foils.
The teams are made up of around 120/150 people, including sailors, designers, engineers, marketing and communication experts, etc. They will live in Barcelona for more than a year. They arrived in August and will be based in Barcelona until the end of the competition in October 2024.
Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand who won the last America’s Cup and decided to bring it to Barcelona.
The slogan that the America‘‘s Cup is the Formula One of sailing is not a slogan, but a reality as a temple. In fact, there are several alliances between the racing teams and the F1 teams. This means that all sailing fans are waiting like bated breath for the debut of the sailors fighting for the Hundred Guineas Jarra. This is the trophy that the winner holds, and this crucial event is exactly what Vilanova i la Geltrú has had the honour of hosting for this preliminary regatta in September.
No wind no race’ when they don’t have enough wind, these sailboats stop flying.
The responsibility, therefore, was paramount. With so many eyes on this charming Catalan town, whatever happened there was going to be subjected to close scrutiny. And Vilanova passed with flying colours. The local organisers hosted a Race Village where thousands of people came to discover the world of sailing, and the race, the staff at the Yacht Club, La Daurada and the whole operation at sea ran like clockwork. The only regret was the storm that prevented the races on the first day and the wind drop that preventedorthe final match race from taking place. But we cannot blame the organisers for that; the weather, fortunately or unfortunately, cannot be bought yet.
On the first day of racing, the race had to be cancelled due to a big storm.
Format of the competition
The competition consisted of five fleet races (all against all), running like a car race, with a start and finish line, buoys marking out the race course (the circuit) and a sea course of about six miles (about 12 kilometres) which is lengthened or shortened depending on the strength of the wind. The first two finishers were measuredíin a head-to-head final, the format in which the final phasewas contestedbut the lack of wind prevented the final phase from taking place.
The top two finishers in the middle of the race
The qualifiers for the competition were American Magic and Emirates New Zealand. The two most legendary teams in the competition. The Americans represent the New York Yacht ClubNew York Yacht Club, who defended the Hundred Guinea Pitcher for… 132 years. The United States won itin 1851 and did not lose ituntil 1983, when Australia made history by being the first country to take it away. There is a documentary on Netflix, The Race of the Century, which tells this story beautifully. Now, the Americansareobsessed with regaining it, and the victory they achieved in the preliminary race in Vilanova delighted them.
Paul Goodison receives the cava bath ritual from his partner Tom Slingsby during the awards ceremony.
Paul Goodison, one of the skippers of the American NYYC team, told us just after the title was won:
We had a fantastic last day, and the key was communication. The four of us on board communicated beautifully and made the right decisions. Sailing with two skippers is a very different configuration to what we are used to. It’s not easy to coordinate, but the truth is that we felt very comfortable. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but it’s a great first step.
Godison, he kept telling us:
Barcelona is a fantastic placeboth my wife and my son aredelighted in the city. The race course is tricky, there are big waves and quite a lot of wind, which makes sailing quite complicated.
The runner-up was Emirates Team New Zealand, which is the defender of the Hundred Guineas Cup. They are also the team that has decided to bring the America’s Cup to Barcelona. This is the first edition in history in which a team has decided not to hold the competition in its home country. The New Zealanders could not find enough money in their country to defend the trophy and decided to export it to Europe. Well, let’s qualify: Swiss Alinghidefendedthe Cup after their triumph in Valencia in 2007 and 2010. But they had no choice, as the America’s Cup can only be held on the open sea, and Switzerland does not.
The grand final will take place in October 2024 in Barcelona.
The Vilanova regatta was the first of the three friendly competitions that will take place in this edition. The second will take place in Jeddah, from the 30th November to the 3rd December, also aboard the AC 40s, which are the yachts that will compete in the America’s Cup for young men and women. And the third pre-regatta, which will take place in Barcelona in mid-August, will be held with the mythical AC 75s. The best sailing boats in the world at the moment, which will be used for the first timebefore the big competition.
The six participating challengers during the regatta
The America’s Cup itself will have two phases:
- The first is the challenger selection phase, in which five teams will challenge New Zealand to take the Pitcher and will compete against each other from the end of August to the beginning of October 2024. American Magic, Switzerland’s Alinghi Red Bull, Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, England’s Ineos Britannia and France’s Orient Express will take part.
- The winning teamwill face New Zealandin the America’s Cup Grand Final, which will start on 12 October in a best of thirteen races. The winner of seven races will be the defender of the mythical Hundred Guineas Cup.
We now have the enormous privilege of being able to experience in Barcelona a unique experience, which has only been held in five countries (England, United States, Australia, New Zealand and Spain) throughout its 172-year history. So, we must start arranging our diaries to enjoy one of the best sporting events in the world in September and October of next year.
