America's Cup's next edition could also take place in Barcelona, organizers say
Authorities visit Women's and Youth teams as they set base in Barcelona's Olympic Port
The organizers of the America's Cup in Barcelona are "optimistic" that the next edition of the sailing competition could also take place in the Catalan capital.
Aurora Catà, the vicepresident of the competition, said that "there are a lot of things that have to happen before it is decided", as the winning team gets to choose where to set base for the next edition and it is not up to organizers only.
"I think that Barcelona is a marvelous city and that we can offer another edition pretty fast, but we have to wait until the end of the competition," Catà concluded.
Coordinators of the competition have found in Barcelona "great facilities for the America's Cup," Grant Dalton, America’s Cup CEO, told the press on an institutional visit on Friday to the Olympic Port where the women's and youth teams have set base.
This will be the third youth championship, with sailors aged 25 and younger, in the America's Cup history, and the first time in the sailing competition that there is a women's race.
The twelve teams now have in Moll de Xaloc their operations center to train with the AC40 boats before races start on September 17 for the Youth Cup and on October 5 for the Women’s Cup.
On the presentation of this new space, Barcelona’s mayor Jaume Collboni stated that “one of the aims of Barcelona and the America’s Cup is to defend equality and diversity values.”
Abby Ehler, the coordinator of the youth and women’s competition, explained to Catalan News that “having a stand-alone women’s event at this level of our sport really marks a changing point.”
She, a professional sailor, thinks it is important to create a specific competition "because it gives experience and importance to women, to showcase their talent on their own stage."
“It is the most exciting initiative I have seen in my career,” she added.
"Creating the Women's Cup for this edition of the America's Cup introduces proper pathways for women in the sport of sailing," Grant Dalton said.
“The city continues to work towards making sailing more available for everyone and to promote it among residents,” Collboni also mentioned.
Next Tuesday will be the first training session and the first time the boats sail.
Some of the teams have been training on simulators, so this will provide a new opportunity for the teams to test the craft before the regattas.
The America's Cup started on August 22 off Barcelona's shores and is scheduled to last until late October. During this time, international teams will compete against each other in all categories: men's, women's, and youth's.
Aside from the male teams: New Zealand, Switzerland, Italy, Great Britain, France, and the US, the female and youth teams will also see countries such as Spain, The Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Austria competing.