Cup Spy: Rio jumps on the 2027 America's Cup venue merry-go-round
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World NZ 18 Dec 2024 15:15 NZDT
Martine Grael and Kahena Kunz (BRA) sailing on Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro - Day 6 2016 Olympic Regatta © Richard Gladwell - Sail-World.com / nz
According to letters leaked into the Italian media, Rio de Janerio is interested in staging the 38th America's Cup, expected to be sailed in 2027.
Writing in La Stampa, well connected Italian sailing journalist Fabio Pozzo, reports an exchange of letters between Americas Cup Event CEO Grant Dalton and Eduardo Paes, the Mayor of the Brazilian city.
In his opening remarks, Paes notes that Rio de Janeiro has hosted sporting competitions such as the 2016 Olympics and the FIFA World Cup two years earlier and - as quoted by La Stampa - "with this experience and passion it is well prepared to welcome the global sailing community and is confident that its candidacy will be greeted with enthusiasm and support".
In a surprising testament to the leaking America's Cup, La Stampa is able to quote what is claimed to be a response, purported to be dated the previous day, December 16, from Grant Dalton, responding to the Rio Mayor.
La Stampa reports that Dalton thanks the City Council for the interest shown and specifies among other things that the Cup will be held in 2027. "The city would be the ideal place to host such a prestigious event", he says.
Dalton then says he “wants to delve deeper into the financial commitment if Rio’s bid is preferred” and offers to provide documents in the meantime on the infrastructure requirements. “In our quest for sustainability, we want to use existing facilities rather than new or custom-built ones.”
La Stampa goes on to say that Dalton reminds Paes that there are management costs for the event (TV included), plus a fee for hosting the Cup. According to La Stampa, Dalton estimates that organizing such an event “would cost ACE €80 million euros, of which €50 million would have to be financed by the public sector”. And again, he says that the “hosting fee” would also be “equal to this last figure, thus bringing the cost to €100 million euros plus any infrastructure”. However, Dalton specifies, it would be a “turnkey event”.
Those who attended the Rio Olympics will remember it as one of the best and worst, as far as that long-forgotten vital component of an America's Cup and Olympics - wind is concerned.
The issues of pollution in the enclosed harbour of Guanabara Bay were well documented before the 2016 Olympics. During the regatta, the notorious bay was no worse than any other Olympic sailing venue of recent years. Whether that was a temporary measure, as claimed, for the 2016 Olympics is unknown.
Facilities for the 2016 Olympics were excellent and would roll over well into an America's Cup - with the possible exception of a small domestic airport with its runway exiting over the the marina entrance.
Two course areas were use for the 2016 Olympics - inside the Atlantic Ocean entrance and blocked at the other by a bridge across the harbour. Without the surrounding geography and possible pollution the bay offers flat water perfect for foiling. But it is surrounded by high hills, which cause a big deflection of even a strong wind, however the breeze blowing from the Atlantic through the heads and into Guanabara Bay, is hard to fault.
Outside, the Atlantic Ocean provided the most memorable of Olympic sailing venues - if the yachts could sail in swells of up to 4 metres, and 1-2metre swells were common place. The breeze outside was very good, aside from the squall that hit the 49er fleet just after the finish of one race.
Inside or outside the harbour fan viewing is excellent - from Copacabana on the Atlantic side and the long white sand beach running from the Marina da Gloria entrance to Botofogo at the top of the bay.
Other venues believed to be under consideration include various venues in the Middle East, and Auckland. However at this stage of the 2024 America's Cup cycle a request for proposal had been in circulation since July 2020, and the evaluation was well advanced with the long list being cut to three or four after Auckland exited from contention.
A decision on the America's Cup venue is expected in June 2025.