Has the America’s Cup set sail for Spain?

The loss of the 2024 America’s Cup will deny Auckland businesses a critical opportunity for post-COVID recovery, says the Auckland Business Chamber.

Spanish media have reported that Team New Zealand has chosen Barcelona as the next host of the America’s Cup, saying there was a “verbal pact” that was “pending only its formalization”.

Barcelona hosted the 1992 Olympics in which the Sailing events were held alongside the coastal capital of Spain’s Catalonia region. Cronica Global noted how the city had secured the Cup with $70m euros from the Catalan government and Barcelona City Council.

Team New Zealand denied the report when contacted by the NZME media group, and are set to announce the official decision on the host on March 31, alongside the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

Last year, Team New Zealand rejected a $99 million (NZD) bid from the Government and Auckland Council to host the next America’s Cup, meaning the event looked likely to be hosted abroad.

But Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett said confirmation the Cup would be hosted offshore would still be “extremely disappointing” to New Zealanders, particular Auckland businesses struggling to recover from COVID.

“There are hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into the Auckland economy as a result of that event, and they’re being denied that,” he said. – Full report

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period opened December 1, 2021 and runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup may be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the venue reveal and event dates until March 31, 2022. – https://www.americascup.com/en/home