The 2013 America’s Cup opened amid great fanfare and celebration on July 4 with the grand opening ceremony on the main stage at the America’s Cup Pavilion.
Streamers help close the Opening Ceremony of the 2013 America’s Cup with the sailors from the four teams on stage. © ACEA / PHOTO GILLES MARTIN-RAGET
Published: August, 2013
The 2013 America’s Cup opened amid great fanfare and celebration on July 4 with the grand opening ceremony on the main stage at the America’s Cup Pavilion.
With the sailors of the four teams contesting the 2013 America’s Cup—ORACLE TEAM USA, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Challenge and Artemis Racing—standing behind, Lucy M. Jewett, recently elected to the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, brought the opening ceremony to a close by saying, "Let the racing begin."
With those words paper streamers were shot from air guns, a flock of doves was released and Beethoven’s "Ode to Joy" rang out over the full house crowd that took in the Opening Ceremony, a fraction of the 30,000 visitors who toured the Park on a sun-splashed Independence Day holiday in the United States.
For the first time since 1995, the America’s Cup is being hosted in the United States. "Welcome to San Francisco," said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. "It’s an honor and privilege to be the mayor of the host city for the America’s Cup."
"I’d like to extend a big thank you to San Francisco for making all of this possible," said America’s Cup Event Authority CEO Stephen Barclay. "This won’t be remembered as the 2013 America’s Cup or the 34th America’s Cup, but the San Francisco America’s Cup."
The park officially opened shortly after noon with San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Port of San Francisco Executive Director Monique Moyer, Valérie Chapoulaud, the CEO of Louis Vuitton Americas, Charlotte Schultz, the chief of protocol for San Francisco, and the ACEA’s Barclay participating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the entrance to the America’s Cup Park.
When the gates opened, a few thousand people flooded into the park. As the crowd increased into the tens of thousands throughout the afternoon, the fans took in many of the exhibits and fan-friendly lounge areas and concessions. On race day afternoons throughout the Summer of Racing, the America’s Cup Pavilion stage will showcase local performing artists free to the public.
The day concluded with a city-wide fireworks display on the San Francisco Bay. During the ceremony, all four teams took the stage along with cultural performances from each competing nation. Recycled Percussion, the America’s Got Talent finalists, performed a high-energy, all-American salute for the audience.
Artemis Racing Finding Its Way Back
In late July, Artemis Racing made a spectacular debut in Big Blue, the Swedish challenger’s second AC 72 catamaran. The team had the giant catamaran up on its foils in winds as strong as 15 knots, a tremendous accomplishment.
"Today could not have gone any better. It was a perfect day and exactly what our team needed," said helmsman Nathan Outteridge. "We got the boat on the water and foiling and we’re happy with how it was foiling. It’s a massive tribute to all the guys who have been working so hard to get us back out there."
While Artemis Racing had an impressive first day out, caution is the word from the team. The sailors say there is a lot to learn and test before the team is ready to join Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand on the racecourse.
Artemis Racing suffered an accident on May 9 in which the team’s first yacht capsized and broke apart and crewman Andrew Simpson perished. Since then the team has been working to get back on the water. The team has marked the first day of the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals, August 6, as its target date for racing.
YachtAid Fundraiser Draws International VIPs
On July 2, the Consul Generals of Italy (Mauro Battocchi), Sweden (Barbro Osher) and New Zealand (Leon Grice) hosted a benefit for global relief organization YachtAid Global at the Cannery in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. YachtAid Global is a nonprofit organization that has delivered much-needed supplies to remote maritime communities around the world since 2006 on private yachts that are already travelling to these destinations.
The event, presented in the spirit of friendly competition, served as a venue for the America’s Cup team members of Italy (Luna Rossa Challenge), Emirates New Zealand and Sweden (Artemis Racing) to relax and enjoy fine food, drinks and international entertainment amongst friends, fellow sailors and countrymen.
The entertainment included Italy’s tenor Pasquale Esposito, Sweden’s Voices of Sweden Choir led by Grammy winner Ragnar Bohlin and New Zealand’s World Champion Kapahaka Company Te Waka Huia, all of whom performed at the Opening Ceremony at the America’s Cup Pavilion on July 4. The event concluded with a live auction of America’s Cup memorabilia to raise additional funds for YachtAid Global.
New Zealand’s World Champion Kapahaka Company Te Waka Huia performed at both the YachtAid fundraiser (above) and the Opening Ceremony at the America’s Cup Pavilion. Photo by Joel Williams
