October 3, 2024
Valencia's Mayor Rita Barbera Enjoys The Run Up To The America's Cup At fPort America's Cup (Photo by Gareth Evans)
Valencia's Mayor Rita Barbera Enjoys The Run Up To The America's Cup At Port America's Cup In Valencia (Photo by Gareth Evans)

Sunday 7th February sees the official opening ceremony of the 33rd America’s Cup, starting at 1300hrs in the heart of Port America’s Cup, by the Veles et Vents building.

The opening ceremony will include the draw for which side the competing yachts have to enter the start area for Race 1, with the time gun scheduled for 1000hrs Monday.

A huge crescendo is promised with a mascletá, a local celebration of firecrackers with the largest reckoned to be 750kilos of gunpowder.

The Cup Arrives In Valencia (Photo by Gareth Evans)
The Cup Arrives In Valencia (Photo by Gareth Evans)

And from 1400hrs the America’s Cup will have the UN GRAIN for Hairt – the cooking of a giant paella with the proceeds all going to relieve suffering in Haiti.

Alinghi 5 Docked At Port America's Cup (Photos by Gareth Evans)
Alinghi 5 Docked At Port America's Cup (Photos by Gareth Evans)

Alinghi is the Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup. The team is the culmination of Ernesto Bertarelli’s passion for sailing. The Swiss entrepreneur, former owner of biotech giant Serono and an integral part of the sailing crew, created the team in 2000 to participate in the America’s Cup.


In 2003, Alinghi defeated Oracle BMW Racing to win the Louis Vuitton Cup, and then won the 31st America’s Cup at its first attempt, sweeping Team New Zealand 5-0. With this victory, Alinghi became the first European winning team and brought the America’s Cup to Europe for the first time in 152 years.


The selection of Valencia as the venue for the 32nd America’s Cup and a new competition format, with preliminary Acts across Europe, opened a new era for sailing’s premier competition. The Swiss Defender –through AC Management– implemented its renewed vision for the America’s Cup positioning it at the level of the world’s most popular sports. The outstanding four-year event saw 12 teams from five continents competing for the trophy before 6.4 million spectators, contributed to the transformation of the host city and claimed the attention of over 4 billion television viewers worldwide.


Alinghi succeeded in defending the America’s Cup in Spain in 2007, in what was the closest America’s Cup Match of all time beating Emirates Team New Zealand in the 7th race by just one second. The Swiss team won the Match 5-2.
On the build up to the 33rd America’s Cup Match, the giant catamaran Alinghi 5 was launched on Lake Geneva, in Switzerland, on July 8th 2009. Six months later, the innovative Swiss multihull arrived to Valencia and on January 15th 2010, Alinghi 5 sailed in Valencia for the first time, with Bertarelli at the helm.


Alinghi flies the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, Switzerland. With over 100 team members from 20 nationalities, it stands for an innovative, professional, multi-cultural and passionate team
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