A new America’s Cup team founded in Barcelona, Spain – host city for the 37th America’s Cup – has announced it will field teams in the Youth & Women’s America’s Cup events scheduled to run in parallel with AC37 in 2024.
The team – which will represent the city of Barcelona, the region of Catalonia, and the country of Spain – is a collaboration between a group including experienced sailors and campaign managers and Barcelona’s Real Club Náutico de Barcelona (RCNB).
Heading up the team will be the renowned Catalan sailor Guillermo Altadill as team principal and highly experienced international team manager Stewart Hosford.
The new syndicate has received approval to be the Spanish challenger for the 2024 event from America’s Cup Event Management Company (ACE) – the organisers of the 37th edition of the America’s Cup – as well as the current Cup holders Emirates Team New Zealand.
The fledgling team plans to operate from a base in the Port of Barcelona and aims to purchase two of the newly released 40-foot AC40 foiling monohulls.
Applications will be welcome from sailors across Spain and the team has committed to running a transparent recruitment process for the country’s women’s and youth squads.
The overall goal is to win both events as well as building a platform of talent that can form the basis for future Spanish America’s Cup campaigns in all categories.
The team have already commissioned the design of a team base in Port Vell in Barcelona and are in discussions with a number of investors and sponsors to support the initiative.
“I have participated in a number of America’s Cups and the opportunity to build a Spanish team and harness the incredible sailing talent from across this country is an incredibly exciting opportunity for me,” Altadill said.
“As a team we will proudly represent Barcelona and our wider country to show the world that Spain is a leading sailing nation and to be home favourites for the Cup in 2024. What has been incredibly impressive to me already is the amount of interest and talent that this opportunity is attracting already.”
RCNB president Jordi Puig said the club had been a major supporter of Barcelona’s bid to host the 37th America’s Cup since its inception and more recently had been having informal discussions with SailTeam BCN.
“Last week we formed an agreement that we as a yacht club are incredibly excited by,” Puig said. “Our club is 100 percent behind the team and the America’s Cup event in Barcelona and we look forward to supporting the team in their ambition to win the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup in 2024.”
ACE CEO Grant Dalton said he was also hugely supportive of the new Spanish initiative.
“Guillermo and Stewart, together with the Yacht Club here in Barcelona have put together a world class plan and team and as the event authority we are delighted to back them as the local and Spanish Team to compete in Women’s and Youth America’s Cup as part of AC37, creating pathways for the next generation of local sailors to compete in the America’s Cup.”
