Countdown to Barcelona's America's Cup begins

The countdown to the America's Cup has started. As of Tuesday, there are only 100 days to go until the oldest continually contested international sports competition starts in Barcelona on August 22. 

The six teams vying for victory have been training in the Catalan capital for months to make sure they can win the competition that will last until October 20. 

To promote the sailing race, over 60 organizations will be offering more than 200 cultural, artistic, sports, gastronomic, science and leisure activities for visitors to enjoy during the competition.   

Alongside the six professional teams, there will be 12 youth and women's teams for the UniCredit Youth America's Cup and Puig Women's America's Cup respectively.  

Listen to our Filling the Sink podcast episode to learn more on all things America's Cup published on September 16, 2023. 

Shoreside, Barcelona is getting ready to "host an outstanding global event, similar in scale and style to their magnificent running of the 1992 Olympic Games," the organization shared in a statement. 

There will be thousands of volunteers who have signed up and will "bring enormous enthusiasm, panache and courtesy to ensure the smoothest running of the regatta," organizers said.  

The Port Vell will be thronged by boats of all shapes and sizes plus the addition of the J Class yachts that contested the America’s Cup in the 1930’s and the 12-Metre Class who sailed between 1958 and 1987. 

For spectators, this will be one of the most accessible America’s Cup events in history with perfect viewing all along the Barcelona beachfront with two Fanzones and viewing areas on Bogatell beach and along Plaça del Mar square. 

There will be an Official Race Village at the Moll de la Fusta walkway, free to enter. Fans will have the opportunity to get close to the sailors with presentations on the main stage and there is the possibility of watching all the races live on big screens with commentary. 

Barceloneta residents worried 

Residents in the old Barcelona seafront neighborhood of Barceloneta are worried about the negative impact the influx of people could have, in what is already an area very popular with tourists. 

Some locals believe that the competition should be the perfect opportunity for investment to be made in the neighborhood and ask that the negative impact on their day-to-day life be "minimal." 

Event organizers say that Barceloneta will have "a good experience" and will reap the benefits from the competition with improvements to infrastructure and neighborhood facilities.  

During the sailing competition there are 2.5 million people expected to visit the Catalan capital.