The city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will host the next America’s Cup pre-regatta. The city, located on the shores of the Red Sea, has been chosen to host the second Preliminary Regatta. It will be held between November 29th and December 2nd of this year.
The America’s Cup comes for the first time to the Middle East thanks to the Saudi Sailing Federation, which is committed to promoting water sports in Saudi Arabia. To this end, it has the support of the Ministry of Sports and state-of-the-art facilities at the Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina, which have already demonstrated their ability to host international events such as the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Formula 1, which will be held at the Corniche circuit from 2021.
The event offers a great opportunity to promote the sport of sailing in the region. As well as showcasing to the world the beauty and culture of Jeddah, a city that combines tradition and modernity. The preliminary regatta will bring together the teams that will compete aboard the spectacular AC40 boats, capable of reaching speeds of over 90 km/h. In addition, they will sail very close to the shore, allowing spectators to enjoy the show from the stands, next to giant screens.
In the final preliminary regatta in Barcelona, the teams will compete for the first time in their new AC75s. Alex Carabi
Grant Dalton, CEO of AC37 Event, the organizer of the America’s Cup, has been enthusiastic about the choice of Jeddah as the venue for the regatta.
Normally you would have to go out on a boat to see it, but because the teams will be sailing so close to shore, spectators will be able to watch entire legs of the race from the Corniche,” says Dalton.
One of the racing boats plying the waters of Jeddah.
The Jeddah regatta will be the second of the three Preliminary Races to be held before the arrival in Barcelona. The first took place in Vilanova i la Geltrú, last September, where the NYC American Magic team was the winner. The third will be held in Barcelona in August 2024. The results of these regattas will determine the order of the pairings for the final, where the challenger who will face the defending champion, Emirates Team New Zealand, will be decided.
Images provided by the aforementioned brand.
