All of us at Sitges Hills Villas are eagerly anticipating the arrival of one of the world’s most prestigious and exciting global sports events to the Sitges area. The 37th America’s Cup final match will be held in Barcelona between August to October 2024, while the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup will be held in Vilanova i la Geltrú, just a few minutes’ drive from Sitges, between September 14th-17th, 2023.

What is the America’s Cup?

The America’s Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy still in competition and first contested in 1851, when a yacht from the New York Yacht Club defeated a British yacht in a race around the Isle of Wight in England. The cup is named after the schooner America, which was the boat that won the first race. The New York Yacht Club held the cup for 132 years, until it was finally defeated by Australia in 1983.

Since then, the cup has been contested every three to four years and has been won by teams from Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. The current holder of the cup is Emirates Team New Zealand, winners of the 36th America’s Cup in 2021.

The America’s Cup is a match race, meaning that it is a head-to-head competition between two boats. The boats are large, powerful monohulls that are capable of sailing at speeds of over 50 knots. The boats are also hugely expensive, with some costing upwards of 100 million Euros in addition to the high costs of maintaining the teams and facilities.

This is a highly technical event, and the boats are constantly being developed and updated. The latest generation of boats, the AC75s, are foiling monohulls that can lift out of the water and sail at even higher speeds.

The 5 teams vying to compete in the final race against Emirates Team New Zealand in the 37th America’s Cup are:

– Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland)
– Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy)
– NYYC American Magic (United States)
– INEOS Britannia (United Kingdom)
– Orient Express Racing Team (France)

The America’s Cup is expected to attract over 1 million spectators to the Barcelona/Sitges area and generate over €1 billion in economic activity.

37th America’s Cup locations and schedule

The 37th America’s Cup final race series will be held in Barcelona between August to October 2024. The America’s Cup race village will be located along the Moll de la Fusta, which is a waterfront promenade in Port Vell in Barcelona. The race village will be a free-to-access area where spectators can watch the boats being prepared, meet the sailors, and learn about the competition.

The first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup will be held in Vilanova i la Geltrú from September 14-17, 2023, and hosted by the Club Nàutic Vilanova. This is a qualifying event, and the top three teams will advance to the Challenger Selection Series. This event is completely free for visitors with plenty of space along the waterfront to watch the racing and enjoy the spectacle. The Race Village will open at 11am each day and run through to 8pm with food and beverage stations, live screens of the racing between 3 to 5.30pm plus event and team activations onsite.

Accommodation for the 37th America’s Cup

We anticipate high demand for accommodation in the Sitges area for the duration of the Preliminary Regatta in September, and for the period from August to October 2024 when the final race series is held in Barcelona. Advance accommodation reservations for these dates are highly recommended. Sitges is just a few minutes drive from Vilanova i la Geltrú and the Barcelona waterfront is an easy trip from Sitges by car or train for the 2024 final race series.

More information

The America’s Cup is a prestigious event that attracts the best sailors and engineers in the world. It is a test of speed, skill, and technology, and it is one of the most exciting sporting events in the world. More information about the event including news updates and schedules can be found on the official event website at https://www.americascup.com/.