With a history dating back to Victorian England in 1851, the America’s Cup has long held the title as the most prestigious sailing event on the planet. Such rich history lends itself to the occasional mishap and controversy, and this year’s 37th edition of the race, due to be held in Barcelona later this year, is no exception.
Rewind 173 years to the world in which the first America’s Cup took place, a time when the American civil war and the modern Olympics were fanciful ideas of the future, the event was created for the wealthy to showcase their lavish and innovative yachts. In that sense, nothing has changed. And it is partly this - the division and inequalities between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of us - that is fuelling the ‘No a la Copa America’ movement.
The protest movement, No a la Copa America (no to the America’s Cup), has been gaining speed in recent weeks as the 14 week-long event draws closer. Graffiti, posters, and flags of the legendary trophy turned on its head inside large block letters spelling ‘NO’ have been appearing all over the city.
The group’s issues with the event are numerous. But their main points are clear, as the group wrote on X to a viewership of twenty thousand, ‘we have seen that the America’s Cup is privatisation, elitisation, tourism and expulsion. And we woke up. It's time to continue and gain momentum.’
The group say that Barcelona city council and the Catalan government have acted irresponsibly by hosting the event. In a city that struggles with the effects of mass tourism, an estimated 2.5 million additional tourists will flock to the city over the course of the event, that runs for over a quarter of the entire year. Most of which will be concentrated in the busiest parts of town closest to the port. No a la Copa America argue that this will only worsen the city’s draught emergency that has plagued the region for the last three years and have seen reservoirs reach record low levels.
The issue surrounding funding and the lack of transparency over private investments is another of the movement’s main issues. They claim the event only benefits tourists and the extremely wealthy, yet it is paid for by the public. According to the group, upwards of €55 million in public funds have been allocated to pay for the event. Whilst the city of Valencia, just a few hours south, reportedly declined to host the event in future as they’re still in debt over hosting the 2007 edition. The campaigners state in their manifesto that ‘it is totally unacceptable for the administrations to support this elitist event with millions of public money, which aggravates the social, environmental and climate injustices suffered by the city and the territory.’
Conversely, the event’s organisers, city officials, and fans alike argue that the city’s wealth of maritime history, iconic beach-side skyline and ideal weather conditions make it the perfect destination to play host.
A report from Barcelona’s Pompeu Fabra University estimates that the 37th America’s Cup will have an economic impact of approximately 1.2 billion euros on the city. And with an anticipated audience of over one billion people, the international reputation of both the city and wider Catalonian region expected to be favourably showcased.
The Port of Barcelona claims they are committed to ensuring sustainability of the event. As they state on their website, ‘the Port of Barcelona wants the America's Cup to act as a catalyst for innovation and development of different industries in the country, using a sustainable development model to create positive economic and social outcomes’. These positive outcomes include the supposed creation of 19,000 jobs, although details are yet to be announced.
The Port of Barcelona describes their approach to the event as a private-public collaboration and points out that each of the six racing teams are responsible for footing the bill for their perspective bases, whilst the America’s Cup organization itself is responsible for ‘preparing the necessary services, sewage system, accesses and land and sea connections’.
No a la Copa America’s 19 point manifesto advocates for several key initiatives. Among the demands: enhanced public transport services throughout the event, the fishing industry that has long supported the immediate area must be respected, urgent measures to conserve water must be put in place, and prioritisation of use of public beaches for the city's residents. Lastly, they demand that the event must never be hosted in Barcelona again.
Whether you support the protesters or the race enthusiasts, it’s difficult to justify the alleged exploitation of the working class that the event will facilitate. No a la Copa America’s manifesto points out that the America’s Cup, a profit-generating event, asks residents to work as unpaid volunteers. This year’s event is sponsored by Louis Vuitton - the global luxury fashion giant owned by Bernard Arnault, the world’s richest man.
Despite the dismay of many locals, record numbers will likely tune in to watch the race to compete for the oldest international sporting trophy in the world.
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