"Attention, we have great news for sport and the city's economy: Barcelona will host the America's Cup in sailing in 2024." Barcelona's mayor Ada Colau said at the their Facebook page (please click!). The Catalan Minister of Economy, Roger Torrent, had previously confirmed the multi-million euro sports deal to a Catalan radio station. This was reported by the Catalan news agency ACN. It initially remained unclear whether the Spaniards had gone ahead on their own initiative and spread the good news half a week before the officially planned announcement of the New Zealand defenders or whether the Kiwis had deliberately left the field to them. In any case, the announcements by the high-ranking politicians confirmed the rumour that had been smouldering for weeks.
Ada Colau continued: "It is a competition in which the participating teams make major investments in innovation beyond the event days and therefore have a lasting economic impact in the two years leading up to the regatta." The America's Cup already had its first "Spanish phase", being held off Valencia in 2007 and 2010. In particular, the 32nd America's Cup in Valencia was one of the most successful and highly publicised editions in recent decades.
New Zealand media are now also reporting on the new New Zealand-Spanish alliance for the oldest international trophy in the sporting world. While the New Zealand Cup defenders and rights holders of the hosting rights are still not responding to enquiries about the upcoming venue and are sticking to their announcement until 31 March, the New Zealand daily newspaper "New Zealand Herald" is also reporting Barcelona's victory in the hosting competition. The three other cities on the final shortlist were obviously unable to make the cut: Malaga, Cork in Ireland and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
At the same time, the "New Zealand Herald" reminds us that Team New Zealand could face legal consequences if the event is not held on its home turf outside Auckland. Sir Edmund Thomas, a retired judge of the New Zealand Supreme Court, has threatened legal action in the event of a defence outside New Zealand. The "New Zealand Herald" recalls that Thomas had, for example, obtained an injunction in 1985 to prevent a tour of South Africa by New Zealand's rugby team with a view to the South African apartheid system. The daily predicted a negative reaction from New Zealand's population to the Barcelona news. Team New Zealand had received "significant financial support from New Zealand taxpayers and taxpayers in Auckland to fund operations and provide infrastructure for the cup defence in New Zealand".
However, New Zealand and Auckland's governing bodies were unable to reach an agreement with Team New Zealand to organise the 37th edition of the Cup.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
