America’s Cup Match dates confirmed
The 37th America’s Cup will be decided in mid-October 2024, with the Race Area offering spectacular viewing from Barcelona’s beaches.
01 December 2022
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It’s already shaping up to be a classic America’s Cup against the backdrop of the spectacular Catalan capital of Barcelona in Spain, and now the organisers have released details of the Racing Area location and the race schedule for the 37th America’s Cup Match itself, which will take place in mid-October 2024.
The Racing Area for both the Challenger Selection Series and the America’s Cup Match has been agreed with Barcelona’s Capitán Marítimo, and will be set to the south of the city along Barcelona’s beachfront, which will make for great viewing for spectators along the coastline.
There will be a permanent exclusion zone for the duration of the racing to give the competitors sea room among what is expected to be an armada of spectator vessels watching the action in the AC40s and AC75s. The location of the Racing Area could however mean those onshore will be only a few 100 metres from the action, depending on conditions.
Racing in the America’s Cup Match, which will take a first-to-seven format, will start on Saturday 12 October, with the aim to have the concluding Match races on the weekend of 19 and 20 October.
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It has also been confirmed that the Women’s America’s Cup Regatta Final will take place on 16 October 2024, straight after the scheduled Race 5 of the America’s Cup Match, giving the women’s event significant coverage and profile with a prime-time viewing audience.
Racing the new and exciting AC40 class set up in strict one-design mode, the sailors in the Women’s America’s Cup will undoubtedly be some of the finest foiling athletes on the planet and a clear pathway to the future of the America’s Cup will be on show.
The format for the final match-up allows for plenty of redundancy to cater to varied conditions. The first two Match races are scheduled for Saturday 12 October, followed by a further two races on Sunday 13 October 2024.
Racing will then pause for two days, although at the discretion of the Regatta Director and after consultation with both the Defender and the Challenger – and depending on conditions – both of these days could be used to complete two races a day.
The schedule as it stands would recommence on Wednesday 16 October 2024 for one race (Race 5) in the Match followed by the Women’s America’s Cup Regatta Final as mentioned above.
“We are excited to confirm the dates determining the Match racing period and our huge thanks go to the Capitán Marítimo and the Port of Barcelona authority who have been so proactive and accommodative throughout the process,” says Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Events Limited.
“This is a significant event to plan for, with safety concerns at the top of the list for both spectators and competitors.”
Thursday 17 October is officially not scheduled for racing but again, subject to the Regatta Director’s discretion and agreement with the competitors, could be allocated for two further races depending on conditions. Friday 18 October 2024 is officially marked as a Spare Day for up to two more races. Two races per day are also scheduled for Saturday 19 October and Sunday 20 October 2024, if required.
The objective of the Event Authority is to have racing concluded over the weekend of the 19 and 20 October 2024, however, the schedule does allow for racing to continue into the following week from 21 October through to 27 October 2024, on reserve days if required.
“The result is going to be something pretty spectacular,” adds Dalton, “with racing taking place in front of the beach, along the coast from the main port entrance, past the Port Olímpic and out further east, offering a fantastic viewing opportunity for the public to see these remarkable boats at full pace.”
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