The 32nd America's Cup in concept and figures

by America's Cup Media on 6 Jul 2007
The 32nd America’s Cup has been the largest, most open and widely accessible America’s Cup in 156 years of history. Over 6-million people have visited its venues, and its television footage has reached 4-billion viewers.

'I think all of us can be proud of what has been achieved here in Valencia over the last four years,' said Michel Bonnefous, the CEO of AC Management, the event organiser. 'This first America’s Cup in Europe has been a big step forward for the oldest and most prestigious sporting prize. When Alinghi won the America’s Cup in 2003, we had a vision for what the next event should be like. To achieve that, we have worked collectively with the teams, sponsors, host city and the media to evolve the America’s Cup so that it reflects the times we live in, while remaining true to its heritage.'

The success of the first America’s Cup in Europe has been based around four main axis of evolution:

The four years of sailing in the Louis Vuitton Acts represented one of the largest changes. For the first time, the teams and the public could enjoy meaningful America’s Cup racing during each year between the two America’s Cup Matches. The result was the closest America’s Cup in recent history, where all 12 teams were quite evenly matched. The best example was the America’s Cup Match itself, with the closest scoreline since the advent of the America’s Cup Class, numerous lead changes, and a final race decided by just one second.

Due to the Louis Vuitton Acts, and the purpose built venue in Valencia – Port America’s Cup – the public has had a closer relationship with the America’s Cup than ever before. In addition to the four sailing venues of Valencia, Marseille, Malmö-Skåne and Trapani, the America’s Cup trophy travelled to 18 other cities around the world. With this higher profile – over 100 000 press articles have been written about this edition of the Cup, for example – this America’s Cup has attracted top tier, international sponsors, both to the event and to the teams.

The host city selection process which saw Valencia selected as the best venue for the first America’s Cup in Europe guaranteed the creation of Port America’s Cup – the biggest and most modern sailing venue in the world. With room for 12 team bases around a central basin, Superyacht facilities, a Marina for over 600 boats, an award-winning landmark building in the Veles e Vents facility and the AC Park (23 restaurants, bars and cafés, over 30 interactive areas, three historical exhibitions, three ‘giant screen’ areas to watch the racing, and a concert facility).

Finally, the funding of the event and the return of surplus revenue, projected to be more than 30 million euros, to the teams is a significant step forward in allowing Cup teams from this cycle to be on a solid financial footing for the 33rd America’s Cup.

With the end of the 32nd America’s Cup on Tuesday afternoon, attention now shifts to the next cycle. The Protocol for the 33rd America’s Cup, agreed between the Defending yacht club, the Société Nautique de Genève and its Challenger of Record, the Club Náutico Español de Vela, will lay out a blueprint for the next event, which inevitably, will move the Cup forward once again.

  Spectator attendance

• Total visitors (including Marseille, Malmö-Skåne, Trapani and Valencia): 6.4 million
• Port America’s Cup: 5.7 million
• Season 2007 (Louis Vuitton Act 13, Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup Match): 2.8 million
• One-day record of visitors to Port America’s Cup: 87 547 (Sunday 1 July 2007)

Internet www.americascup.com

• Visits: 22 million (total since September 2004)
  2007 season: 16.6 million (since April 1st)
  America’s Cup Match: 3.4 million
• Page views: 105 million (total since September 2004)
  2007 season: 70 million
  AC Match: 13.4 million
• One-day records
  Page views: 2 156 222 (26 June)
  Visits: 518 612 (3 July)
  Unique visitors: 337 894 (3 July)
• Newsletter Subscribers: 40 000

TV (provisional data)

• Viewers: over 4 000 million (total since 2004)
  2007 season: over 2 700 million
  Broadcast hours: over 4 500 hours (total since 2004)
  2007 season: over 2 500 hours
• Networks: over 100
  Rights Holders: 36
• Countries reached: over 150
• Production: 400 hours and over 33 cameras

Media

• Press articles: over 100 000
• Accreditations: over 6 700 (total since 2004)
  2007 season: 3 200
  America’s Cup Match: 1 460
• Written press: 371
• Photographers: 183
• Radi 49
• Internet: 30
• Television: 227 journalists and producers + 600 technical personnel
• Countries represented: 40
• Publications: over 600
• Press releases issued: 1 040 (in four languages)
• Press conferences organised: 75

Port America’s Cup

• 1 million square metre development including the Marinas with nearly 650 berths and 12 team bases
• Spectator boat service: up to 12 boats every racing day with around 1 300 spectators onboard
• Spectator boats: 2 000 boats on the race course (final weekend 30 June-1 July 2007)
• Marinas occupation: over 1 000 boats (2007 season)
  One-day record: 450 boats
  Total number of nights sold: 25 000