THE AMERICA’S CUP TROPHY TOUR CONTINUES WITH ITS FINAL THREE STOPS AS A PRELUDE TO BARCELONA Copy
- The America’s Cup trophy has already passed through L’Escala, Palamós, Vilassar de Mar, Sitges, Tarragona and Cambrils.
- This series of events has helped to bring the competition closer to the local population by offering sporting and cultural activities.
The America’s Cup Trophy Tour continues and has already completed its first six stops, awaiting the last one in Barcelona. This successful initiative has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of America’s Cup Event (ACE), Emirates Team New Zealand, the local town councils and the Generalitat de Catalunya. Fans from Sirges, Tarragona and Cambrils have been able to enjoy the activities after the locals from L’Escala, Palamós and Vilassar de Mar.
The Auld Mug has been available for fans to have their photo taken with the oldest trophy in world sport, currently held by defending champions Emirates Team New Zealand. At each of the six stopovers on the America’s Cup exhibition tour, a four-zone outreach area was set up, where the public could enjoy a free immersive experience and emulate the world’s best sailors in a simulator, while learning about the history and other key aspects of the competition.
Sitges: nautical tradition in the region of El Garraf
The Club Nàutic de Sitges hosted the fifth stop of the Trophy Tour and the attendees were able to enjoy a regatta with teams of students from the sailing school of the Garraf club as well as an exhibition of sailors from the Patí de Vela class.
In the afternoon, the presentation of the Hundred Guineas Pitcher took place. Several prominent authorities attended the event and spoke to the fans who travelled to the Passeig de la Ribera, such as Grant Dalton, CEO of ACE and Emirates Team New Zealand, Aurora Carbonell, mayoress of Sitges or Leslie Ryan, event director of ACE.
Tarragona and Cambrils before the end of the Trophy Tour in Barcelona
Tarragona was the setting for the fifth stop of the America’s Cup Trophy Tour. A hundred people came to see the America’s Cup Trophy close up and to learn about the history of the legendary regatta. The official presentation of the trophy took place in Refuge 1 of the Moll de Costa de Tarragona, next to the Real Club Náutico de Tarragona.
It was attended by the president of the club, Andrea Mazzanti, the vice-president of the America’s Cup Event Barcelona, Aurora Catà, the deputy mayor of Sports, Education, Sports Tourism and Health of the Tarragona City Council, Rubén Viñuales, and the director of the Territorial Services of Business and Employment in Tarragona, Jordi Fortuny. An exhibition of dinghy and cruiser sailing was planned to show off the America’s Cup colours along the Tarragona coastline but had to be cancelled due to the weather conditions.
Club Nàutic Cambrils became the sixth parade of the America’s Cup Trophy Tour. The festive day began with a crossing for the Cruiser, Ilca and Optimist classes, taking the participants to Salou and back to Cambrils.
More than 200 people enjoyed an aperitif and a typical local meal including dishes such as mussels and fideus rossos, prepared by the Cambrils Fishermen’s Guild. In the afternoon, the prizes were awarded, and the official presentation of the America’s Cup trophy took place, with speeches by Ramon Vallverdú, president of the club, Aurora Catà, vice-president of the America’s Cup Event (ACE) Barcelona, Alfredo Cúa, mayor of Cambrils and Francesc Gil, patron of the Cofradia de Pescadors de Cambrils.
The last stop of the Trophy Tour will be in the city of Barcelona. The residents of the Catalan capital will be able to enjoy the activities offered by ACE in the rest of the municipalities. In addition, it will serve as a prelude to the AC75 regattas that will begin on 22 August with the preliminary regatta in which the teams will be able to face each other for the first time before the start of the official competition
