I am the first to have publicly stated that the figures have been
wonderful for my city, that the public investment has been extra- ordinarily profitable if we compare it with the fees for hosting a F1 or MotoGP Grand Prix. Today it is being said that the candidacy for the Ryder Cup golf tournament requires a payment fee similar to the 50/60 million euros paid by the administrations in the 37th AC; but that is before including the cost of the necessary infrastruc- ture which in Barcelona was not needed for a sailing regatta. In addition, as a Barcelona citizen I also value that this event
has not compromised our daily lives, avoiding inconveniences such as traffic jams or blocking streets as happens with a big marathon or a cycling race. The City Council’s explanations for the refusal to host a future
Cup were that Barcelona has already met its objectives, to reposition the city’s image, organise a major global event and rebuild enthu- siasm after the pandemic, as well as reconnect the city with the sea – or even the acceleration of the Blue Economy. At the same time there was movement in the corridors of the
other public entities that financially supported the event. Although no one has officially confirmed the figures, it is estimated that the fee paid to the Defender is around 85 million euros, 25 million underwritten by a lobby of businessmen who hoped to recover their contribution from sponsorship deals obtained by ACE. Of the remaining 55/60 million euros contributed by administra-
tions and public entities, the share of the Barcelona City Council is estimated to be 10 per cent. Although they have not publicly com- mented, the business lobby and the parties promoting tourism in the city respond that the lack of that 10 per cent council contribution would not be an obstacle to raising the funds needed to develop the port for another Cup. No one doubts that the Port of Barcelona already has enough
space for one or two possible new teams. One of them seems 90 per cent certain to be the Swedish Artemis Challenge, while the possibilities for a Spanish team I personally do not believe exceed 10 per cent. Dalton’s argument about the space for more bases here sounded
more like a useful reason why they might not repeat in Barcelona, than a solid argument by the Port of Barcelona. Nobody likes to be told that they are not wanted, we all prefer that it is us who do not want them. When the alarms went off, there was talk of three potential AC38
venues, Barcelona, Arabia… and Valencia. Before the unfortunate floods in the Valencian region it seemed to me that they were the usual messages from local politicians to gain prominence. A similar story to when they aspired to host the 37th AC, when they told me about a budget of 200 million euros, while the figures that Barcelona was considering were ‘only 80 million’. It does not seem to me that the current terrible situation that
Valencia is experiencing makes this the most propitious moment to think about this, but perhaps it is quite the opposite and serves to raise people’s spirits when most needed? For any major international event Saudi Arabia has long been
there waiting with a blank cheque ready to help clean up a some- times awkward international image. But many of these ‘issues’ are not trivial for possible sponsors of the event, and of the teams, as well as for many potential visitors as guests or fans of the America’s Cup. Actually the mood of the current teams appears to be quite
favourable to staying with Barcelona, as demonstrated by requests by Ineos and Alinghi to the port to maintain their operational bases. Knowing that the next boat will be an AC75 again and the interest in shortening the timeframes, staying in Barcelona makes it easier to think about 2026. A change of city complicates logistics, with an estimated time of almost a year to have a new base operational. Sadly in Valencia the old facilities from 2007 can also no longer
be used and so the teams will all need to build new bases. However, and don’t ask me why, if the Cup were held again in Valencia, the chances of a Spanish team will increase greatly. Also a change of host city and a year’s extra delay could be compensated with more much needed and interesting preliminary races… But please, this time do it with the big boats, not the toy ones. Carlos Pich
AUSTRALIA Grant Dalton was not happy. Back in Auckland in 2021, Emirates Team New Zealand kicked off their home defence with some lack- lustre performances before retaining the Cup on home waters. Winning that event satisfied the short-term narrative, but the brain- strust of Dalton and Shoebridge knew that the challenging teams would lift their games significantly and so securing Nathan Outteridge was a masterstroke on the part of ETNZ. A previous America’s Cup helmsman in San Francisco and
Bermuda, Outteridge is very close in temperament to Peter Burling – but what does that mean? Well, very calm under any form of pressure, with a sailing brain forged in foiling, and a combination of that delicate touch and flight control muscle memory which the rest of us mere mortals simply don’t have. Take a look across all the teams that turned up in Barcelona,
and there was some phenomenal talent, but all the helming teams were asymmetric. Harsh of me yes, but in every sailing team, pos- sibly with the exception of Luna Rossa, there was always one helms- man significantly more experienced at this level – except at ETNZ. And when it came to understanding design, construction and team dynamics, none of the co-helms had the bandwidth of Outteridge. Nathan also solved a niggling problem for ETNZ. Glenn Ashby
began easing himself away from full-time duties after the 2021 Auckland victory, to concentrate on his land and water speed record projects, and so how do you replace that level of talent and cultural synergy – and within this team that is incredibly important. I think the first time we were exposed to intense but unbelievably
calm Cup helming was with Peter Burling in Bermuda in 2017. The cyclor-powered AC50 appeared to allow Burling to occasionally drift away and daydream. Ken Read commented that he looked as if he was out for a Sunday drive, and Outteridge has that look. The chatter became more pronounced on the New Zealand boat towards the end of the Cup Match here in Barcelona, but his quiet poise and confidence are frightening. At the start of Race 8 in the America’s Cup match, ETNZ was
just 1.4m back from the line at the pin end doing 36kt. That is the level required when you race alongside Peter Burling, on one of the most sophisticated race yachts ever built. Nathan, new to both this team and this class in this Cup cycle, observes, calculates and in 7-9kt light and patchy gusts, calmly reaches a swift decision like he is ordering lunch. But he is a savage. Ask any Moth sailor who has raced against
him, and they will confirm that he has the clarity of vision to extrap- olate the outcome of multiple high-speed scenarios, always ending in his favour. And before the start of Race 3 of the Cup Match in Barcelona, Nathan pounced. He had a sniff that Ineos were vulnerable, and spun the Kiwi
boat around back into the attack. After that race he quietly com- mented, ‘I saw an opportunity in the pre-start, to circle round and try to line the British up on starboard. I was on the inside of the turn, trying to line it up nicely, and out of the tack I thought we were in a pretty strong spot. ‘Then I handed it over to Pete at that point – so I was never really
sure how close the two boats got. Pete didn’t seem too panicked, and so when we gybed around again it seemed like we would get a penalty on them and execute a nice start. From my side it felt pretty calm and well rehearsed, and so I am happy with the outcome.’ ‘Pretty calm and well rehearsed’ – versus a shout of ‘Jesus
Christ!!!’ from the British boat. Nathan continues… ‘If you do your homework on your competitors you have a rough
idea of where their comfort zones are, and their comfort zone was in that 360 move with their entry on port. We saw it in the round robins and prelims, and again in the LV final against Luna Rossa, and clearly if there is an opportunity somewhere you go for that.’ He went for it. During that close encounter both boats’ foil arms
overlapped, almost locking together like rutting stags – which, as Regatta Director Iain Murray pointed out the following day, had they clashed, would have been a disaster. To have two AC75s make contact at speed would have ripped both foil arms clean off. Oh, and Iain reminded us that he was onboard OneAustralia in San Diego in 1995 – that when America’s Cup boats sink they do it fast.
SEAHORSE 29
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