The Valencians are in luck: for the second consecutive year, the oldest sailing competition in the world will be held again in Valencia. The America’s Cup – which celebrates its 33rd edition, is the third most watched sport event on the planet, after the World Cup and the Olympics.
This race has been celebrated since 1851. It was created due to the Great Universal Exhibition in London. Then, the winner received a silver trophy designed by the royal family jeweller valued at 100 gold guineas. That’s why the America’s Cup is also known as “the 100 Guineas Cup”.
After many doubts about this year’s race location, Ernesto Bertarelli (skipper and owner of the Alinghi Team, last winner of the America’s Cup) met with the Spanish president and signed a 110 million agreement to divide them among the three America’s Cup Management administrations, the America’s Cup Management. Year after year, the previous winning team decides where the next competition will be hold.
Following the huge success that the event enjoyed in its 32nd edition, in addition to the great image that it left in Valencia, the Spanish Government has decided to invested more money in infrastructures for the competition. With this money they will lengthen the maritime walkway, construct new docks for the Bertarelli America’s Cup and remove and repair some buildings to improve the area’s image.
This edition will hold two events, one in June and the other in July, to make them coincide with the suitable wind conditions. The Rolex Cup will begin in April. Rolex will be the new sponsor of the Alinghi’s team opponents. In addition, this year the races will be longer than the last one; with this purpose, there will use just one leg per day, instead of two and they will use just one field for the competition.
The first title defence was in 1870. Since then and until 1983, the Americans remained unbeatable until they were defeated by Australia II, the Royal Perth Yacht Club. But it took only a year to regain their title, which was not taken away again until 1995 by the New Zealand Team. In 2003 the the Alinghi Team (the Geneva Nautical Society) got the victory. This was the first winning team without access to the sea, so they chose Valencia as their headquarters for the America’s Cup. There was celebrated the 32nd Cup’s edition, and the Swiss team won again – they chose for the second time Valencia as the 2009 America’s Cup headquarters.
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March 5th, 2009 at 11:53 am
[...] March 5, 2009 by apartmentsvalencia The Valencians are in luck: for the second consecutive year, the oldest sailing competition in the world will be held again in Valencia. The America’s Cup – which celebrates its 33rd edition, is the third most watched sport event on the planet, after the World Cup and the Olympics. Read the full post here: 33rd America’s cup [...]