Next spring and summer, crowds will converge on Valencia,
Spain, to celebrate the latest competition for the oldest active trophy in
international sport: the America’s Cup. Spain and the host city have invested
millions of euros to create a racing and entertaining venue without rival in the
storied history of the event. Among the attractions are a spectator-friendly
racecourse and a large-yacht marina positioned right in the thick of the action.
If forecasts are accurate, competition for space in the marina during the event
will be as intense as the competition on the racecourse. If you’re considering
visiting Valencia during the Cup, now is not too soon to make arrangements. The
city has many attractions that extend far beyond the racing. Here’s a taste of
what to expect and what to do.
 The oldest active international trophy in the
world. (Click image to enlarge)
Get Berthed
"This place was born with the America’s Cup," says Mariano
Garcia, as we walk along the 226-meter-long T-shaped superyacht marina that juts
out in the center of the team bases in the Port America’s Cup inner harbor.
Garcia’s project management company heads up the operations at the marina,
located in the port’s center. "You can feel the America’s Cup here," he
adds.
The marina, one of the only marinas in Spain dedicated solely
to superyachts, has 42 berths from 35 to 80 meters and one at 150 meters.
Full capacity is expected during the event, as is some movement, which will
allow owners to subcontract their berths and take off to Ibiza for a week, if
they so desire. A berth at the superyacht marina means being on the "inner circle" of the harbor, with a sweeping view of all the bases. "This is more than a berth on a dock. You’re a guest of a
comprehensive hospitality program. It’s like walking into a seven-star hotel,"
says Alice Widdows, one of the marina’s coordinators. "A mountain of social
possibilities awaits guests, from events with Spain’s royal family to local
dignitaries, as well as a pass to the Cup’s premier private Foredeck Club."
Top photo: The Swiss team’s mothership at the superyacht
marina. Bottom photo: Spinnakers billow during the fleet race. (Click images to enlarge)
Going Dockside
Superyacht marina guests can hop the exclusive Foredeck Club’s
courtesy water taxi to get to the club, but half the fun is going dockside.
Getting from one end of Port America’s Cup to the other is no small feat, but it
gets you up close and personal with the 12 team bases (five to the north of
the marina and seven to the south). Whether you go by foot by bicycle or by
Segway, seeing the bases is a must because no two are alike. BMW ORACLE Racing’s
skills challenge gives visitors a chance to win the 18th seat on the race boat,
while Alinghi’s America’s Cup Class Simulator gives a hands-on feel for what
it’s like to crew on a Cup yacht. The architecture of the Luna Rossa base is
probably the most unusual of all; the outside skin of the building is
covered in old sail material. Eventually the esplanade leads to Veles e Vents, a four-story
building that offers the other best seat in the house to watch the boats
maneuver through the channel’s watery parade grounds to the racecourse. The
building’s wing-like terraced platforms are the place to see and be seen. Bars,
restaurants and shops fill the first two floors, while the Foredeck Club
lays claim to the upper two—and roof.
 Plaza de la Reina (Queen’s Square.) (Click image to enlarge)
The first floor of Veles e Vents is also the place to stop and
pay homage to the America’s Cup itself, the silver vessel that has inspired lust
among the powerful and the investment of untold millions for more than 150
years.
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