Excitement as first day of America's Cup races takes over Barcelona

Thousands of people gathered across Barcelona's shoreline to follow the first races of the 2024 America's Cup sailing competition on Thursday. 

Many followed the races from the beach while sunbathing or swimming, and others followed the preliminary regatta offshore.

"We went to Barceloneta beach yesterday," Slovakian visitor Simon Kol told Catalan News. They had seen all the "signs and photos" of the competition hanging, which is why they had "decided to come the next day."

Simon is one of the many Barcelona visitors who were traveling to the Catalan capital for vacation and discovered the America's Cup. But many others traveled just for the preliminary regatta.

"I come from Cagliari, Italy, where the Luna Rossa [sailing team] base is, so I am just following Luna Rossa here. I am quite a fan of the America's Cup, which is why I am here," Stefano, wearing a Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli jersey, told Catalan News.

Many followed the races from afar, but others had been waiting for the day for months.

"I wanted to come because I just like boats," nine-year-old Felix from Slovakia said to this media outlet. He travels with his parents to Barcelona after coming to the Catalan capital last year and learning that it would be hosting the sailing championship.

The Race Village at Moll de la Fusta, planned to be the epicenter of the event for fans on shore, attracted many fans and curious members of the public on the first day.

The space will have capacity for 9,500 people who can follow the races on giant screens while enjoying food and refreshments from stalls set up in the area. 

The Pérez family from Ripollet travelled to Barcelona for the opening day's racing and they told the Catalan News Agency they came to "get to know the event and see the races" in person.

Asked about criticism of the event by some locals, Xavier Pérez acknowledged such a large-scale event can "upset" locals, but affirmed it also "gives potential to the city and to Catalonia."

First day of action

Switzerland beat the French in the opening race, before it was mixed emotions for the Italian team.

First, they had to abandon the second match race of the day, against New Zealand, very early in the encounter after experiencing an electrical issue, meaning they lost control of the boat. They recovered afterward to take the last race of the day against France. 

In the third match, American Magic defeated the British outfit.

This week's Preliminary Regatta won't count for the standings in the real competition, which gets underway on August 29, but it will be the first chance the teams get to learn about their own abilities on the water in a competitive environment on the Barcelona shores, as well as the first time they'll get to scout on their opponents. 

This week will be the first time that competitors will see each other in the AC75 class of yacht in over three years, as in warm-up races up to now they have only been working in the AC40. The AC75 is a much larger, heavier, and faster vessel that will be sure to have fans gripped to the action. 

Locals in favor and against

Among the spectators, there were many local residents who, as Dolors, just enjoyed a day at the beach "and then saw the boats," she told this media outlet as she knew the preliminary regatta was starting on Thursday at 2 pm.

"I am really happy to enjoy the sailing cup from Barcelona, as it is the host city," she said. A thought shared by Dani Cañas, a Club Natació Barcelona sports club member who has been watching the sailing teams training.

The America's Cup "is very positive for a city such as Barcelona or any other seaside town," he said, as many more tourists travel just to follow the cup.

Dislike Dani and Dolors, some residents believe the event is just made for the elite, which is why the No a la Copa Amèrica civil society group is calling a protest on September 7.

"We want to have a large demonstration" to remind everyone these sites should be resident-first "and not for multimillionaires," Irma Samayoa, spokesperson of the group, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

Port Olímpic transformation

With the naming of Barcelona as the host city for the America's Cup, plans to redevelop many parts of the port area were accelerated to have them ready in time for the competition. 

This is the case for the Port Olímpic part of the city, which has been completely changed over the past year, with 20,000m2 of area transformed for locals to reconnect with the sea. 

Among the highlights are a new promenade viewpoint looking out at the sea which attracted hundreds of fans for the first race day of the America's Cup.  

The old bars and restaurants that had been there before were removed, making way for different business spaces and new eateries. 

The first restaurant to open in the area is Casa Carmen, specializing in local Catalan cuisine. In total, eleven new restaurants, some new locations of some of the best eateries in Barcelona, will set up in the 'Gastronomic Balcony', as well as three shops. 

As well as a gastronomic offering, the new spaces are designed to accommodate municipal sailing clubs and facilities and promote sustainable economic activity related to the sea, such as electric boat selling and renting, a shop specialized in light sailing equipment, and different firms focussing on technology to power sailing through solar panels and improve the quality of water. 

In total, it's expected that the sea-related economic activity in the area will create 200 new jobs. 

Barcelona "seen in every house in the world" 

The America's Cup is also proving an opportunity for the city to show itself off as one of the best places in the world for sailing.

"We will be seen in every house in the world," director general of the Barcelona Nàutica Foundation, Ignasi Armengol, said at a gathering at the start of the competition, held in a revamped leisure area of ​​the Port Olímpic area port of the Catalan capital.

Armengol pointed out that the television audience will be from around the globe: "New Zealand will go to sleep watching the show of the day and the United States will watch it having breakfast."

Municipal manager of Barcelona City Council, Laia Claverol, pointed out that the America's Cup is a "challenge" because, for the first time, it is being organized in an urban port and must coexist with the daily activity of the city.