4 months immersed in the 37th America's Cup experience
It’s been an intense four months, working alongside Spectator Barcelona and fully living, enjoying, and feeling the energy of the 37th America's Cup on the Barcelona coast.
Now that the emotional tide has receded, it’s time to step back and reflect on this massive sporting event: how it was experienced, and whether the city truly managed to leverage it for maximum return.
Let’s start by recalling the controversy when this event was first brought to Barcelona three years ago.
Many were skeptical, including some local politicians (notably, Ms. Colau, who now washes her hands of it, and even the current mayor, Mr. Collboni) They were initially reluctant, leaving local businesses to step in and make it happen.
I’d encourage you to check out the video – history doesn’t forget 😈
However, reluctantly accepting the event is not the same as supporting it. This lack of real backing showed throughout the competition.
So, let’s break it down step-by-step, or we’ll never get through it all:
THE SPORTING EVENT
Dismissing its significance would be absurd: this is an event with over 170 years of history, held by only six countries (though the U.S. did keep it for 130 of those years), and in Europe, it’s only ever been hosted by Spain – apart from an 1851 race in England, which wasn’t technically the America’s Cup, but rather the 100 Guinea Cup.
This is a worldwide event that brings together the sailing elite, under a unique “match race” format that lets fans experience the races up close in short, intense bursts.
So no, this wasn’t some concocted event like the “Forum of Cultures” Barcelona hosted in the past; this is something with real tradition, prestige, and international reach.
BARCELONA AS HOST
Why Barcelona? You might wonder – after all, we don’t even have a home team! (That deserves a post of its own; it’s outrageous that the women’s and youth teams didn’t even have their own boats and had to rent them ten days before the start). But here we are, mainly for economic reasons, though it wasn’t just about public funding.
TV rights play a big role here. This event has high media impact across North America, Oceania, Southeast Asia, and Northern Europe. Considering that the defending team chooses the venue – New Zealand, in this case – it made sense to pick a location that would maximize media impact.
In 2021, Auckland hosted it and, while it drew huge crowds locally (they have a strong maritime culture), it didn’t deliver in terms of media coverage (TV and online audiences).
So for this edition, Europe and the Middle East made more sense, and Barcelona was chosen over other contenders like Málaga and Jeddah.
With the media impact region settled, other factors came into play: setting, connectivity, maritime conditions, port facilities… and here, Barcelona beat Málaga (a location that could be a fantastic host in the future, like Valencia was) and other better-funded bids like Jeddah.
So, here’s the important part – it wasn’t all about PUBLIC FUNDING! If that were the case, the 37th America’s Cup would have taken place in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona won because of its city offering.
THE COMPETITION
Admittedly, if you aren’t a sailor – and even if you are – following the event wasn’t easy.
It all started with a complicated, lengthy competition calendar, full of preliminary events, which made it hard to know when things officially started. Was it on August 25 with the preliminary regatta? Or with the Louis Vuitton race on September 14? Or with the official opening on October 10, just two days before the Challenger Series began?
It was a genuine mess!!! With a 2.5-month event that had multiple events and little communication, it was tough for fans to keep up.
Then there were the side events – the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup, the Puig Women’s America’s Cup, the Puig Classic Sailing Regatta, the J’s Championship, Maxis… none of which received much exposure from the main organization.
In terms of technology, these flying boats are state-of-the-art (purists might debate whether it’s truly sailing). Like in Formula 1, these boats set the evolutionary trends for the sector.
They’re capable of “flying” at speeds near 50 knots (+92 km/h), generating their own apparent wind, defying the laws of physics with lift principles, etc...
However, this technology also leads to less thrilling races – everything is often decided at the start unless there’s a navigation error or breakdown. They reduce close-quarters action, demand extensive safety measures, limit the view of the crews in action…
In summary – they’re the best of the best… but maybe a bit “too much”. It creates a competition format that’s spectacular on screen, with its pacing, abundance of on-board cameras, helicopters, follow boats, and enhanced graphics… yet it loses a lot out on the water!
It’s similar to F1 and its circuits… but here, with the added complexity of the sea, which makes it even harder.
This is something worth reflecting on – otherwise, it risks becoming an event meant just for TV, with little regard for its location, almost as if it were a simulator-based competition.
CITY INTEGRATION
Barcelona, a vibrant city filled with events and congresses, barely noticed the America’s Cup.
The port area is separated from the rest of the city, and yes, it’s partly due to the city’s size (perhaps too large for this event), a lack of connection between the waterfront and the city, weak institutional support, and an organizer that was quite self-contained.
Except for the Swiss team – Alinghi Red Bull, , who aimed to be the “local team” by keeping their base open to the public from day one – the rest were focused on competing and largely ignored their surroundings. A missed opportunity!
In Valencia, where I experienced it as a visitor, things were different – teams were much closer together, with a dedicated port, and fans could walk through the base area, creating a true America’s Cup atmosphere. Here in Barcelona, with scattered bases and a closed-door policy, this didn’t exist.
This is something the organization should reconsider if they want people—whether they’re sea enthusiasts or not—to engage with the competition.
Additionally, I personally visited almost all 5-star GL, 5-star, and 4-star hotels in the city, and no one from the organization or Barcelona Turisme had provided education on the competition.
So, you’d go to the hotels, and they knew nothing about the event, how it worked, or how their guests could enjoy it, resulting in low interest in promoting it.
We could also talk about public outreach—which has been nonexistent! These boats are like a live physics lesson that could have been shared with schools through workshops and experiences around the competition… but there was absolutely nothing!
Local media, with the exception of Betevé—the only outlet that, from day one, covered not only the races but also everything happening around them (within the limits of their audience and resources)—provided minimal, almost laughable coverage, with very limited visibility for the event. Many journalists lacked knowledge about the event and sailing (thankfully, a few commentators stepped in), and above all, there was no educational focus—no attempt to explain how the event works, how sailing functions... Another missed opportunity!
Oh, and yes, someone will surely mention the so-called legacy—the 4,000 kids who were given a “baptism at sea” with a one-hour group sail in a small boat and a day at the beach… come on! Ridiculous! (Not to mention the €100k+ granted to the Catalan Sailing Federation for something that no one quite understands.)
The city didn’t believe in this event, didn’t make it its own, and didn’t live it… and when that happens, it’s only natural for citizens to question the use of public funds.
As mentioned before—this isn’t about “posing for the camera,” but about truly embracing it and ensuring that this investment brings maximum value back to the city.
INVESTMENT AND RETURN
There’s been a lot of talk on this, and as usual, not much clarity. Public investment is estimated around €58M (some sources suggest €70M, with the most alarmist figures hitting €80M), of which local institutions—city council and regional tourism board (Turisme Barcelona)—ended up contributing €10M + €5M, totaling €15M.
Note: As you can see, the first thing that stands out is the clear lack of transparency from both public and private organizers.
The debate remains open… is it too much or too little? That depends on the perspective. Ultimately, this was an act of short-term tourism and economic promotion (the event itself) with medium-term potential for positioning the city.
In the short term, no one can deny that expectations fell short—but if you don’t fully believe in it, promote it, and push it forward, then it’s not going to work (no magic wands here). Especially in a city with an already thriving economic and tourist rhythm, any increase requires dedicated effort.
In the medium term, we’ll have to wait and see. Regardless of whether it’s the third most-watched event on TV (another point of contention), Barcelona’s image—its skyline and name—has undeniably been on screens worldwide for 2.5 months.
Note: Audience metrics need clarification. There’s a difference between peak viewership (those watching a specific race) and cumulative reach (anyone who viewed some part of the event at some point). Concepts were mixed up here… A single regatta, even the final, can’t match the audience of a World Cup final, Super Bowl, or 100m Olympic sprint final.
But this is a 2.5-month event with global exposure, where cumulative viewership makes sense from a brand visibility perspective. It was like a large-scale “product placement” for the city, serving as the backdrop for the competition.
Frankly, a campaign with the reach provided by €15M (though it wasn’t solely spent on promotion) isn’t outrageous, provided that all other city factors are worked on afterward—security, accommodation, transport, event schedules, etc.
Additionally, as with any major event, public administrations seized the opportunity to make infrastructure investments. We saw this with the Olympics, the 2004 Forum… and now it’s led to enhancements at the Olympic Port, Drassanes Pier, Pescadors Pier renovations, and the introduction of a maritime bus…
These necessary improvements will remain for the city—improvements that would likely have been tackled eventually, though the 37th America’s Cup accelerated the timeline.
In the end, we can debate whether the money invested was excessive, but that’s not the main point. When you invest in something, you have to go “all in” to make it worthwhile; claiming, “I was misled; I didn’t know…” doesn’t cut it.
If you commit, go all the way… otherwise, it’s best not to do it at all—Barcelona’s approach was a “yes but no,” and naturally… the results reflected that.
BARCELONA AND THE SEA
For many years, we've been sold the idea that Barcelona is a city open to the sea, that it loves the sea... well, we can say that hasn't always been the case, and its true “openness” to the sea only really started in 1992.
That said, being a city open to the sea doesn’t mean being a city with a true maritime culture… and on that front, we have a long way to go.
We still view sailing as something elitist, for the wealthy, superfluous... And yes, like anything, there are different levels. But anyone can enjoy the sea, no matter their budget. I assure you, the sea and sailing are a true school of life.
But it has to be made accessible—like it is in countries like Australia, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom… leaving clichés aside.
We need more sailing schools, so going out to sea becomes as common as school field trips to the mountains in the Pyrenees; we need municipal ports with reasonable prices, public launch ramps… this way, we can bring this wonderful world closer to everyone.
THE ECONOMY AROUND THE AMERICA’S CUP
This is where things truly went wild! We got carried away, thinking it was a “last one in is a fool” situation.
It starts with the royalties the organizing body (in this case, the Defender) requires to bring the competition to a specific location and the entire economy of commissions they establish for image usage rights. This isn’t exclusive to this event—it happens with all major events. But what should be debated and evaluated are the prices and conditions versus the return.
As with anything, if you set the bar high, everything that follows becomes tense. But we live in a “capitalist” world, so prices are demanded, and people pay them… although what comes next is another story.
Even so, if you decide to pay, you should maximize the return—you should know what you’re paying for (or else you’re being irresponsible) and get things moving, not wait for “magic” to happen (otherwise, it’s just complaints and excuses later).
Then we have the outrageous rental prices (human nature and its unfortunate greed)—looking to profit off tourists or 37AC team members, impacting the city’s residents as a result. This isn’t unique to the America’s Cup but is a problem with every event in the city and one that needs attention NOW!
Then there are moorings, the cost of accessing the sea, where port rates have tripled or quadrupled, pushing out year-round berth holders in search of a quick profit! And this isn’t exclusive to Barcelona’s ports but has affected the entire nearby coastline. The result? Half-empty ports (owning a boat doesn’t make one foolish) and a range of strained local economies.
Now, private ports doing this—while unethical, it’s somewhat understandable. But a municipal port like Port Olímpic getting in on this game is completely out of line. To give you an idea, a simple boarding or disembarking was €90!
Finally, a more controversial point—the “official partners,” something common to all events and logically acceptable. Except when, under the guise of official status, some try to take control of public resources, like the sea itself—something that some have attempted, even resorting to less-than-honorable tactics.
Being an official partner means you can use the competition's image, gain visibility in its media and events, and access certain private spaces... but NOT the sea. The sea belongs to everyone, as stated by Maritime Law, and crossing that line takes us into murky, problematic territory.
Working during the America’s Cup has not been easy; support has been minimal, which is truly unfortunate, especially when the goal is, rightfully, to build a business and bring the competition closer to people.
THE LEGACY
Politicians love to talk about “legacy”—though honestly, I’m not sure what they mean… since they weren’t exactly present during the competition. It’s just the phrase to use at times like these.
But Grant Dalton has shown an admirable commitment beyond just the competition and its business aspects. His involvement in social projects like YES WE SAIL, and his engagement with life in Barcelona has been a true privilege to witness. Thank you, Grant!
On a personal note, for me, the legacy is in each and every person I’ve met and interacted with over these four months.
The Spectator Barcelona- led by Ignasi, with Carla, Iam and Jano- countless hours together enjoying the sea, our shared passion! And, of course, our partners—David, Guaña, Marc, and Guiem.
Dani Pich and his whole team at YES WE SAIL, Dani is incredible, and his energy and passion are inspiring.
Michael, that photographer from Texas, who we happened to meet one day… he’s been with us every day since, becoming a true part of the team. Nice to meet, know you and share sea hours!!
The hundreds of clients with whom we shared the thrill of training sessions, competition days, and those beers after disembarking. Thank you all! None of this would have been possible without you!
And then there’s the Real Club Marítimo de Barcelona, Marina Badalona, Moco Museum, Hotel Me, Hotel Intercontinental, Grand Hotel, Mónica and Chef Fran López, the Club Pati Vela de Barcelona, Top Sailing Charter, Catamaranes Barcelona, all the volunteers, the marshals, and even the competitors (even if we didn’t always agree on everything)…
And I’m sure I’m leaving someone out… because that’s what the 37th America’s Cup has been—a wonderful way to connect with new people.
DISMOUNTING
To sum it all up, I’d say… I enjoyed the 37th America’s Cup immensely. It’s been a luxury to experience it in this way, even if it was exhausting and incredibly hard work.
I won’t lie—it pains me to see how poorly Barcelona handled this event, how little it integrated it into the city and made the most of it.
Now, with the prospect of Barcelona not hosting again, I think maybe Barcelona didn’t deserve it, and that an event like this might find a warmer welcome in a city with a different approach, like Valencia or Málaga.
Not every event is suited to every city… and maybe this wasn’t the right “match” here. A shame! Because the potential impact could have extended far beyond flying boats on the city’s coast.
This is my balance after four months on the water—living the 37th America’s Cup. Like any big event, it had its dark sides, from which there are lessons to be learned, but also many bright spots—we enjoyed the elite of sailing in Barcelona, brought Barcelona into the global spotlight, met fascinating people, laughed, had fun, and got soaked plenty of times 🤪—but always with a smile, because we love the sea, and we love to sail!
Did you experience the 37th America’s Cup? What was your experience like?
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