Barcelona will host the next America's Cup.
Photo: Photosport Ltd
Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron have announced that the region of Catalonia will host the 37th edition of the Cup in September and October of 2024.
As winners of the last America's Cup, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron had the right to decide the next host city.
They have plumped for Barcelona to take over as hosts from Auckland after Irish city Cork withdrew from consideration, wth the Spanish city winning the bid against Malaga and Jeddah.
TNZ won the Auld Mug in 2017 and retained the trophy in 2021 with a 7-3 victory over Luna Rossa in Auckland but rejected a $99 million bid from the New Zealand Government and Auckland Council to host the next edition.
The America's Cup yacht race is the oldest event in international sport, established in 1851.
"Barcelona really is one of the most recognised cities in the world so to have the ability to host the most recognised sailing event in the world is hugely exciting," said Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton.
"As Defender of the America's Cup, we have always felt the responsibility to grow the event, the audience, and the sport of sailing on a global scale and certainly having the event hosted in a significant city such as Barcelona will allow us to propel the growth trajectory on the global sporting stage.
"When thinking ahead to the 37th America's Cup and the AC75's racing within a few hundred metres of the Barcelona beach, waterfront, and race village fan engagement zones it will be nothing less than spectacular."
Barcelona's city mayor Ada Colau said.
"This should serve to promote the city in the world after the pandemic, to benefit Barcelona's tradition of this sport in a maritime city and, in addition, will boost the emerging sector of innovation and technology, linked to maritime activities.
The Barcelona regional government said in a statement that initial estimates suggested holding the America's Cup in the Mediterranean city would have an economic impact of around $1.3 million to $1.4 billion based on the previous event in Auckland.
Barcelona is also set to be part of a bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics after Spain's Catalonia and Aragon regions this week reached agreement for a joint candidacy.
-Reuters