America's Cup in Valencia
Valencia had hoped to again host the America's Cup in 2009. However, The 33rd
America’s Cup event will now take place in February 2010 in the United Arab
Emirates.
On three occasions
before 2007 Valencia had served as the training base for Spanish teams which
challenged for the America's Cup. However, 2007 was the first time the race had
been held in Europe.
This Mediterranean city with a population of around 760,000 is an ideal choice
of venue thanks to a first class infrastructure for such an event and reliable
weather conditions including an almost certain summer sea breeze which should
provide excellent sailing conditions. Sailing will take place very close to the
shoreline so spectators will be able to
follow the action from the beach and breakwater with viewing capacity for over a
million people.
In the Port of Valencia the America's Cup village
includes upto 12 team bases and a superyacht pier which
stretches 250m into the centre of the basin with berths for 60 boats.
Major work on the Canal and breakwater for the 2007 event allowed boats to reach the race area
within a mere 15 minutes of leaving the team base in the Port. You can see
exactly how Valencia Port was transformed on the
America's Cup Website.
Of all the work which took place in Valencia it was the land reclamation in
the Dársena to create the team bases which was the most impressive fete. According to the
America's Cup Website, "over 700 000 tonnes of gravel have come in by truck to
be used as fill, while more than 20 000 cubic metres of concrete will be poured
to finish the ground for the bases. In total, nearly 4-million kilograms of
steel girders have been ordered for this massive construction and land
reclamation project in the Port."
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