America's Cup: High tension in the Race Village - Barcelona's Cup fans in finals mood
Max Gasser
· 02.10.2024
The America's Cup Race Village at Port Vell fills with life at the latest when the two remaining challengers make their way towards the race course every day at 12.15 pm, accompanied by an enthusiastic, booming concert of ships' horns. It is the largest of the three officially organised Fan miles during the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona. Admission is free of charge.
The 25,000 square metre site can hold up to 9,000 spectators. Even Gary Chapman, long-time companion and important supporter of Kiwi boss Grant Dalton, recently mingled with the fans to watch the action on one of the five giant screens. "They are great races, the boats are very fast and getting better all the time," says the New Zealander, who is of course rooting for his compatriots. "It's always hard to tell until they get to the final, but knowing Emirates Team New Zealand, I'm sure they'll have a few surprises up their sleeves."
America's Cup: Harmonious coexistence in the giants' duel
No matter who they face in the America's Cup match, they are expected to have a tough road to another defence of the bottomless silver jug. All experts and fans currently following the duel between Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Ineos Britannia agree on this. "It's the most exciting Louis Vuitton Cup final for a really long time," said British helmsman Ben Ainslie at the score of 4:4.
This brings tension into the fan camps, but in Barcelona they continue to meet in harmony. They are joined by neutral observers and supporters of the teams that have already been eliminated, as well as interested parties with no connection to sailing. These include all genders and age groups, families and entire school classes. Because there is also a lot on offer besides the races.
Simulators and food - highlights in the official America's Cup Race Village
Among the highlights are certainly the numerous simulators that give visitors the best possible understanding of sailing on such a projectile as the current generation of cuppers. These include a real AC40 simulator that is accessible to everyone, as used by the German Youth and Women's America's Cup team for preparation. You can even get on board one of the hydrogen chase boats using VR goggles. These have a top speed of over 50 knots to be able to keep up with the sailing yachts.
There is also a cycling simulator where visitors can measure their performance in a 30-second race and compare it with the professionals on board the AC75 yachts. These usually deliver a performance of 450 watts over 20 minutes and manage up to 1100 watts in such a short sprint.
The necessary refreshments after such an exertion are of course also provided for in the Renndorf. Visitors can expect not only several drinks bars, but also a changing number of food stalls offering a wide selection of local, regional, national and international dishes. "I'm an Australian cooking Japanese food in Spain," says Jasmine Angel with a laugh. The 35-year-old has nothing to do with sailing, but has already worked as a deckhand and cook on yachts before setting up her own catering business six months ago. Her speciality: takoyaki (Japanese for "fried octopus"). She learnt how to prepare the small filled dough balls two years ago in their place of origin, Osaka. However, her fusion burger with Wagyu beef has been particularly popular at the America's Cup in recent days. "I was already sold out today. I had to call the butcher to get it back," says Angel.
Italians in the majority on site
The best-selling fashion items are the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli garments and, surprisingly, those of the already eliminated American Magic team. "I've already bought so many things," reveals an American woman outside one of the official America's Cup stores. Having travelled from New York especially for the Cup, she observes the events following the elimination of "Patriot" from a neutral perspective: "The British couldn't win again after losing the trophy in the 18th century. It would be wonderful for them if they could do it this time. But I have Italian friends. So I'll be happy either way!"
Even if Luna Rossa helmsman Jimmy Spithill created his own truth yesterday - "We clearly have the biggest fan base here. I don't think I've seen a British flag since I've been here" - the fans of the Italian racing team actually seem to be in the majority at its 7th attempt. A lot of green, white and red can also be seen in the fan zones set up in addition to the Official Race Village at Plaça del Mar and Bogatell. There, spectators not only have large screens, but also a direct view of the racing action on the water. Catering and other entertainment will also be provided here.
In addition, the neighbouring harbour Port Olímpic is also a good place from which to watch the start and the racing action at the turning marks. Plaça de la Rosa dels Vents is also a good place to watch the teams leaving the harbour. At the viewing points, it is also advisable to have a smartphone with sufficient network and data volume to hand so that you can watch the YouTube live stream of the races at the same time. This starts at 2 pm on race days.
Overview of the fan miles at the 37th America's Cup
- Plaça del Mar: until 27 October daily from 12 to 8 pm
- Bogatell: until 27 October daily from 12 to 10 pm
- Port Vell/Moll de la Fusta (Official Race Village): until 27 October daily from 12 to 22/23 hrs
- Viewpoints: Port Olímpic; Plaça de la Rosa dels Vents
