The first Preliminary Regatta on the road to the 37th America’s Cup begins in the beautiful Catalan port of Vilanova i La Geltrú from the 14-17th September 2023 and promises to be one of the most hotly contested regattas anywhere in sailing this year. No team wants a poor result. Everyone is seeking the morale-boost that a good result offers and all are desperate to make the Match Race Final on Sunday 17th September 2023.
The America’s Cup teams will face three intense days of fleet and match racing in the world’s most exciting foiling monohull class, the AC40, with three races per day to decide the top two teams who will contest the winner-takes-all match race final. All the teams will be sailing in strict one-design mode so the winners will be decided on pure sailing skill and technique with consistency being the mantra.There has been some electric racing in the pre-regatta warm-up events and it’s very clear that all the teams are operating at a very high level and pushing hard in racing mode. Vilanova i La Geltrú is an amazing venue for yacht racing, the spectators and the global audience on the livestream are in for a real treat at this first Preliminary Regatta.
Early indications of form really count for nothing until the teams are under the white-hot flame of racing for points towards winning a regatta. With 6 boats racing each other, it is a constant battle to get your bow in front, no matter if you are the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand, INEOS Britannia with some of the most decorated helmsmen around, the New York Yacht Club American Magic who have been putting in the hours with in house racing, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli or Alinghi Red Bull Racing more than capable of taking races and staying at the front of the fleet or Orient Express Racing Team the novices with all the enthusiasm you could wish for and can never be discounted. It’s the first marker of form and intent and with the world’s best sailors racing at the absolute outer limit in one-design monohull foilers, it promises to be a spectacle unmatched in world sailing.
For spectators shoreside and on the water, Vilanova i La Geltrú is gearing up to welcome the world. The official race village opens on Thursday 14th September at middayand the opening ceremony will be held at 7pm after the practice racing that afternoon. The village will be the centre point for the regatta with jumbo screens showing the racing with plenty of seating, food and drink outlets plus Official Merchandise stalls for all to enjoy. Sailor presentations and interviews will be conducted on the main stage and live music acts will entertain late into the evening on each race day. Not to mention the viewing opportunities with screens on the Platja Ribes Roges beach.
