America’s Cup base allocations: Team NZ first to pick
Bases are being allocated for the 2024 America’s Cup in the host venue, Barcelona, with Emirates Team New Zealand first to pick its base followed by INEOS Team Britannia.
Emirates Team New Zealand, as holder of the America’s Cup, got to pick its base area first, selecting the World Trade Centre site at the western end of the official America’s Cup race village.
As set out in the protocol, the allocation of bases for the 37th America’s Cup is defender first, then challenger of record, followed by the remaining challengers in the order that their challenges were accepted.
INEOS Team Britannia, as challenger of record, has selected the IMAX base, next to the Real Club Nàutico de Barcelona, one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world, and set close by to the eastern end of the America’s Cup village for maximum fan exposure and engagement.
AC37 Events Limited (ACE) is now in consultation with Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and American Magic in that strict order.
Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, says: “I cannot speak highly enough of the work and commitment that has gone into getting us to this point with the Port de Barcelona. All of the bases are located in the Barcelona Port Vell area along with the dedicated America’s Cup race village, hospitality and fan zone areas, which will create an amazing atmosphere in the lead up to and during the event in 2024.”
The 37th America’s Cup comes to Barcelona in 2024, with Emirates Team New Zealand weeks away from shipping the AC40 to its new base in Auckland.
Port de Barcelona and ACE worked together to identify the satisfactory required spaces for all of the entered teams and communicate requirements effectively. The port authority has been working closely with key personnel from ACE since the venue confirmation and ‘have provided a far more comprehensive and detailed plan than ever seen before at this stage of an America’s Cup cycle’.
Kevin Shoebridge, chief operating officer of Emirates Team New Zealand adds: “It’s very nice to have first option but to be perfectly honest any of the base sites would have worked perfectly for us. The port authority has been first-class in helping us get to this point in such a tight timescale and their commitment to the America’s Cup is unparalleled.”
Work will now begin on all the sites to the teams’ specifications once the allocation has been confirmed.
Dalton adds: “All of the teams are ready to action planning as soon as their respective bases are allocated, and we have fully engaged local authorities and stakeholders standing by to support the event and its infrastructure build.”
Once the allocations are confirmed, the port authority will continue preparations, conversions and groundworks ahead of the teams assuming their plots around the port area progressively between October 2022 and April 2023.
