Bermuda already preparing for America’s Cup activity

It is expected that the America’s Cup holders will relocate into their new Bermuda headquarters in Dockyard by early spring to step up preparations for the title defence in the Great Sound in 2017.

“There is a South Basin up there which is where the bases will be set up for the finals,” said Dr Grant Gibbons, the Economic Development Minister, who spearheaded Bermuda’s successful bid to host the 35th America’s Cup. “What’s started already is an effort to clear the dock up at the South Basin.

“We know in conceptual terms where things will go, but there’s a fair amount of prep work that needs to be done in terms of hook-ups for electrical and water. Some of that is going on right now but the biggest task is getting that dock cleaned up so that it’s available for teams that will want to set up there.

“There’s also some buildings that will need to be repaired and cleaned up at Dockyard because some of those will be used for the purpose of the Event Village in 2017 and before that.

”America’s Cup officials, meanwhile, are expected to begin relocating their offices to Bermuda as early as this month.

“Some of the America’s Cup Event Authority, which is obviously the organising group, are starting to move in January and February,” Dr Gibbons said. “But they will be working out of offices and that sort of thing.”

As well as the America’s Cup challenger qualifiers and finals, Bermuda will also host the America’s Cup World Series in October of this year.

Source: The Royal Gazette

Editor’s note: Reports from San Francisco in 2011 at this stage were of disputed real estate deals, community protests, and environmental concerns. Will this honeymoon with Bermuda continue? Hope so.