The seaside southern town of Vilanova i la Geltrú has become the backdrop for a high-profile film shoot this week, as Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz arrive to film "Day Drinker", a thriller directed by Marc Webb. The main set is located on a yacht docked at the Pendennis facilities in Vilanova Grand Marina, with production activity taking over a large stretch of the town’s seafront near the port.
The story unfolds mostly inside the bar of a cruise ship, but the production has also taken up the area beyond the boat, with trucks, trailers, and production teams filling the port area, as first reported by Canal Blau and confirmed by the Catalan News Agency (ACN).
In addition to Depp and Cruz, the cast includes younger names like Outer Banks actress Madelyn Cline and Spanish actor Manu Ríos, known for his role in Élite. The film is slated for release in 2026.
Filming in the town is being coordinated with the help of Node Film Clúster, a regional agency that supports audiovisual projects in the area.
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researcher from Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)
the highest concentration of microplastics in Catalonia
This black spot on the Catalan coast was already well known to the Tecnatox research group at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)
which for years has been studying the presence of microplastics in the environment and their effects on health
they have analysed the 580 kilometres of the Catalan coast from Cap de Creus to Vinaròs and the data are clear: this beach has up to 2,000 microplastics per kilogram of sand
a figure that almost doubles that of the second beach on the list
"What surprised us was to see that the beaches of Barcelona
have a lower concentration of microplastics than other points further south such as between Castelldefels and Vilanova i la Geltrú or a large part of the coast of Tarragona," said Joaquim Rovira
a researcher at the URV's Department of Basic Medical Sciences
The study is the most exhaustive one to be carried out on the coast of Catalonia and analysed seventy samples from around fifty beaches
which provided a very accurate picture of the state of microplastics contamination along the coastline and identified the most affected areas
The samples were collected from the intertidal fringe
which is the area of wet sand between the highest point reached by the waves and the water level
The microplastics found were classified according to their size and chemical composition; that is
those microplastics identifiable to the naked eye (up to 5 millimetres) were mainly polyethylene and polypropylene and were either industrial pellets or the result of the degradation of everyday objects such as plastic bottles
came from textile fibres made from polyester and polyamide
which are released into the environment through the process of washing clothing
Much of the pollution on the beach at La Pineda
which took first place in the classification
but the most alarming figure (more than 60%) represented the quantity of textile fibres found
These owe their presence to the fact that they are not retained by washing machine filters and therefore reach the sea through wastewater
but the location of the underwater wastewater outlets between the Port of Tarragona and the cape of Salou prevents this from happening"
A significant concentration of microplastics was also found washed down the river at the mouth of the River Ebre
The Miracle and Arrabassada beaches in Tarragona also registered a high number of pollutants (more than 700 and more than 600
"We attribute this figure to the microplastics that reach the sea via the River Llobregat and which are carried along by the currents to the southern beaches" explained the researcher
The research has also shown how microplastics are distributed according to the characteristics of the sand
"On the beaches of the Costa Brava we found lower levels of microplastics
We attribute this to the fact that the sand is coarser and that it does not retain as many microplastics as fine sand beaches"
a researcher at the Department of Chemical Engineering
The research team pointed out that the results were to some extent to be expected due to the large volume of plastic production and because plastic does not easily biodegrade
the poor management of waste and uncontrolled dumping
forming the micro and nanoplastics that we find everywhere"
We can confidently say that plastics are probably the most abundant xenobiotic pollutants on Earth," they warn
One benefit to have come from study by the Tecnatox team is that they have demonstrated the viability of a technique that until now had never been used to collect microplastic samples
The technique was found to be reliable and cheaper and uses fluorescence microscopy to detect the microplastics
The technique irradiates the filters with a specific wavelength that causes the small plastic fragments to glow
thus making it faster and easier to detect them
one subset was analysed using this new method and the other using the traditional system based on spectroscopy
it was found that using fluorescence microscopy is a good initial method for identifying the most contaminated areas
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117761
Detection of microplastic hotspots in beach sand for national surveys using fluorescence microscopy and infrared spectroscopy: Case study on the Catalan coast
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
Copyright © 2025 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Adrià Guevara i Figueras (1996) is a Catalan activist, politician, communicator, and internationalist with a lifelong passion for global issues. Born and raised in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona), in a family that fostered critical thinking and curiosity, Adrià developed an early passion for everything happening in the world around him.
Later, he also obtained a Master’s Degree in Corporate Communication (Open University of Catalonia) and completed a postgraduate course in Leadership (Academia Europea Leadership). He never stops learning, with languages being one of his favorite intellectual challenges. He speaks Catalan, Spanish, English, and Italian, is advancing in French, and knows some basic Russian.
He held local government responsibilities in economic promotion, electronic administration and IT, historical memory, childhood and youth, and the associations office. Among his proudest achievements during this period were youth-oriented participatory budgets, digital transformation in public services, and social mentoring programs. His leadership style combines innovation with hands-on experience, qualities that have earned him trust within his community and beyond.
People are experiencing chaos and uncertainty at Barcelona's Sants train station due to Monday's power outage
Sants is full of people who were unable to travel on Monday
or were forced to spend the night at the station
High-speed trains are not running normally and are experiencing long waiting lines to access these trains in particular
leaving many people in the lobby looking for alternatives
around 40-minute drive south from Barcelona
many opted for the express bus lines that connect the town with the Catalan capital
Rodalies users were trying to figure out which bus line could get them close to work or their place of study amid widespread confusion
"What’s happened these past two days is just another disaster," Anabel
said describing the situation with "resignation and anger."
One of the issues first-time bus users ran into was the lack of cash to buy tickets
This became a major issue for many Rodalies users
especially those without a T-Mobilitat card
as they usually travel with a Renfe commuter pass.
Many lines started forming on Tuesday at 7 am at the Vilanova bus station for the express buses heading to Barcelona. The lines saw regular bus passengers and commuters from the rail network, as the Rodalies service is completely halted.
Montse, for example, was supposed to be at work at a high school in Barcelona by 9 am, “but that’ll be totally impossible,” she said. On Monday night, she only arrived home after 10 pm, following a long afternoon of bus rides and walking across Barcelona. "I do not normally travel by bus, and I just wanted to come here to see what to do. But I do not know which bus I need to get or where I am going," she said.
The problems also hit tourists: Selma, from Zurich, who is visiting Catalonia with her mother told the Catalan News Agency (ACN): "I was on holiday here with my mum. We just wanted to go back home to Zurich, and we were here, there are no trains, and now we are trying to find a solution."
The Catalan News Agency (ACN) also visited Mataró’s bus stations early Tuesday morning.
At Plaça de Granollers, where two express bus lines depart for Barcelona, the turnout was noticeably lower than on previous days of Rodalies disruptions in comparison to Vilanova i la Geltrú.
Some regular commuters attributed the drop in passengers to class cancellations at several Barcelona universities, while others pointed to an increase in bus services, which may have helped absorb demand more effectively.
has explained to the Catalan fishing sector the agreement reached between the three countries to ask the European Commission for a moratorium on the multi-annual management plan for the Mediterranean Sea in 2025
today underlined the joint efforts being made by Spain
France and Italy to ensure the future of fishing in the Mediterranean Sea and to avoid further reductions in fishing days for the fishing fleet
He stressed that "fishing activity in the Mediterranean is more than just fishing
it is a territorial and social reality that forms part of our culture
and we want this reality as Mediterranean countries to be taken into account"
The minister visited the port of Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona) today
accompanied by representatives of the fishermen's guilds of Catalonia
he explained the agreement reached between the three countries
which has taken the form of a joint declaration in defence of Mediterranean fishing interests
He recalled that Spain has 2,200 fishing vessels in the Mediterranean
of which more than 600 are in Catalonia and 47 in Vilanova i la Geltrú
with the aim of moving towards more sustainable fishing
much effort has been applied in Spain and we have compensated for this with selectivity measures
or closed seasons," said the minister
He recalled that the Catalan fishing sector is a pioneer in adopting measures to protect fishery resources in the Mediterranean with temporary and spatial closures
and selectivity measures in nets to protect juvenile fish
Planas considers that there are alternatives to the drastic measures of continuing to reduce fishing days and asks that the efforts that the trawler fleets fishing in the Mediterranean have been making for years be valued
"but at EU level we have to think about where we are going and our port of destination."
Luis Planas and his French and Italian counterparts signed a joint declaration calling for a moratorium on the multiannual management plan for the Mediterranean during 2025
The three countries will defend this position at the Council of Ministers on 9-10 December
where the total allowable catches and quotas for next year are to be approved
The port of Vilanova i la Geltrú is the most important for the fishing fleet in the province of Barcelona and one of the most important in Catalonia
It is the one with the largest volume of catches and fleet in Barcelona and has a total of 47 vessels in operation
Most of them belong to the bottom trawl census (19
of which 17 can fish red shrimp) and smaller gears
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Slim Safont's work in the Sant Joan neighborhood of Vilanova i la Geltrú is a tribute to the origins and history of this working class neighborhood
The work, inaugurated on December 4 in the Plaça del Xoriguer, is a tribute to the origins and history of the neighborhood, and has counted with the active participation of the neighbors. Through a community session, residents shared ideas, experiences and emotions that served as inspiration for the artist.
The mural depicts Ainhoa, a neighbor of the neighborhood for several generations, who participates in the collective life as a user of the Centre Obert. In her hands, the young woman holds the portrait of one of the first families to arrive in Vilanova i la Geltrú during the migrations of the 1950s and 1960s.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Slim Safont (@slimsafont)
The image seeks to generate a dialogue between past and present
uniting the generation that started a new life in the city with the one that inherits its history
The project stands out for recovering the historical memory and the migratory roots that make up the social fabric of Vilanova i la Geltrú
diversity and belonging to the neighborhood
figurative and realistic work with projects linked to social issues
has managed to create a work that goes beyond the aesthetic
becoming a symbol of union and social cohesion for the inhabitants of Sant Joan
this piece has been recognized by the jury of experts of Street Art Cities
the world’s largest urban art competition that each year chooses the best murals in the world in 3 themes and through anonymous votes from the community
considered the “Oscars” of urban art
counted with the participation of 97 artists from 29 countries and registered more than 310,000 votes
the winning mural in the ‘Best Of’ category was “The Bull” by Portuguese artist Nuno Miles
In the ‘Expert Spotlight’ category
the award went to “Echoes of Harmony” by Studio Giftig
In Spain, awards also went to the murals by BubleGum in Cheste (Valencia)
Sbah in San Javier (Murcia) and Cristóbal Persona in Fene (A Coruña)
the on-water remote markers are holding station
the famous catamaran TV boat is flying around and six contenders for the first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú are buzzing above crystal waters in the super-charged AC40s
high on their foils and even higher on adrenaline
The America’s Cup season is about to start but what is this beautiful port town
Landing into Josep Tarradellas airport in Barcelona
known colloquially as ‘El Prat’
Vilanova i La Geltrú is just a short
taxi ride away to the south along one of the most breath-taking coastlines of the Mediterranean
Coming off the motorway and briefly through the industrial outskirts
Vilanova i La Geltrú presents itself with a beautiful
peaceful palm-tree lined seaside promenade
housing thousands of boats of all shapes and sizes
provides the clues that this is a busy and bustling port before the sight of the Club Nàutic Vilanova
a modern masterpiece of yacht club design hove’s into view
To the right is the town with its grid structure of more palm-tree lined boulevards leading off the busy promenade where a host of fabulous restaurants offer seafood
oriental and local Spanish delicacies in abundance
Vilanova i La Geltrú was fondly nicknamed locally in the 19th century as ‘Havana xica’ or ‘Little Havana’ and this influence is seen along the Passeig Maritim where old style colonial architecture fuses with fisherman’s houses and modern yet sympathetic apartment complexes
the new and the traditional in a bustling town that seemingly never stops and is a welcoming place for visitors and locals to relax and enjoy all that is on offer
Children’s play parks that dot along the southerly aspect near the marina are busy in the late afternoon and teens play basketball on the promontory in front of the yacht club
It’s a welcoming place in the sun with a warm
all-year climate that attracts tourists and families in their droves as well as those looking to settle in one of the most welcoming places in Catalonia
the activation is hard to miss with billboard adverts
sponsor banners and infographics from the moment you leave the airport and into the town centre
There is no show on earth like the America’s Cup and you feel it immediately
The epicentre of the first Preliminary Regatta on the road to the 37th America’s Cup is the Club Nàutic Vilanova which is a lively and thriving members club with a large dinghy apron in the heart of the Pendennis Marina with jetties and pontoons leading off it
housing members’ boats of all hues and disciplines
Walking up the promontory that forms the harbour
the outstanding La Daurada hospitality complex with beach club
restaurant and multiple bars is a classy and relaxing place to while away an afternoon in the sun
Vilanova i La Geltrú has miles of frontage that is free-to-all with the very popular Platja de Ribes Roges providing perhaps the best onshore viewing of the AC40 racing with the action taking place just metres off the beachfront
The Official Race Village is a welcoming and large entertainment space for the general public to get immersed in the America’s Cup
As well as catching all the racing on the giant screen of the main stage
visitors can enjoy team activations from Alinghi Red Bull Racing
NYYC American Magic plus additional stands from regional sponsors sitting alongside world-class food and beverage stations (including the most enormous Estrella Damm bar)
There’s plenty of seating and the venue will offer live music late into the evening to make the Official Race Village a must-visit for any visitor to the first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú
Racing starts officially with Practice Flights on Thursday
but the teams arrived on Tuesday and practised on Wednesday in perfect afternoon sea-breeze conditions
TV and photo helicopters are in the sky; the international and local media are arriving in droves and a Red Bull stunt plane even buzzed the yachts as they arrived
conditions are slightly different in Vilanova i La Geltrú to Barcelona with predominantly flatter water albeit still with an occasional afternoon white-top chop and the forecast for the weekend looks to be delivering upper-wind range conditions – perfect for the ultimate speed test of fleet racing from the greatest foiling sailors of their generation
Shoreside, the Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú is ready to welcome the world and with a global audience tuning in live on the Official America’s Cup website (www.americascup.com) and through the streaming channel YouTube
Vilanova i La Geltrú will become the centre of the sailing world at this apex event where every team desperately wants to do well to give the team and their supporters a morale boost and bragging rights
The America’s Cup is something very special
unique in sport and with a caché that demands global attention
The first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú is a chance for the teams to flex their skills
hone their techniques and give an early indication of form ahead of what promises to be one of the closest America’s Cup events in its 172-year history
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The Catalonian port city of Vilanova i la Geltrú has been named the host venue for the first preliminary America's Cup regatta taking place between 14-17th September 2023
Located 45 kilometres southwest of the America's Cup Barcelona venue
the preliminary event will host both fleet and match-racing with representatives from each of the six confirmed AC37 entries
in contrast to the use of AC75 models for the America's Cup
the preliminary regatta will be sailed in a fleet of AC40’s
as will be used for the Youth and Women’s America’s Cups
This will see the boats equally matched and the winner will be decided on sailing technique and foiling race-craft
America’s Cup Event CEO Grant Dalton said the port was "perfectly set up" for the event and explained that Pendennis' Vilanova facilities will "serve as the technical area which will host the team bases"
event facility La Daurada will provide more than 10,000 square metres overlooking the regatta course for both press and hospitality functions
The race will also be available for viewing through a dedicated free-to-air America's Cup television production
showcasing the region to a global audience
According to Eduard Torres from Barcelona Tourism
the selection of Vilanova i la Geltrú for the regatta reflects the importance of the Barcelona brand in serving as a "gateway" to "promote and give maximum projection to the dynamism and vitality of an entire territory dedicated to the sea and sailing"
president of the executive committee for the Fundació Barcelona Capital Nàutica added: "We can say that the Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova is the first milestone of the America's Cup Arrival Projects Plan that we are working on together with all the administrations and the private sector so that Barcelona and Catalonia become world sailing capitals with the maximum positive impact for citizens.”
The 37th America's Cup Barcelona 2024 is scheduled to take place between Saturday 12 October and Sunday October 20, with two races held on each official day of the regatta.
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Barcelona, 17 March 2023: The historic Catalonian port of Vilanova i la Geltrú, has today been announced as the Host Venue for the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup, with racing to take place over four days between 14-17th September 2023 in the world’s most exciting new foiling class – the AC40.
Albert Castellanos, Secretary for Business and Competitiveness of the Department of Business and Employment of the Generalitat de Catalunya further added: "The confirmation of Vilanova i la Geltrú as the venue for the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America's Cup-Barcelona 2024 is great news that confirms the commitment of the organisation to bring the sport of sailing to the whole territory, projecting our image to hundreds of millions of people around the world", he said.
The Club Nàutic Vilanova is lending its support to the regatta with its world-class facilities and infrastructure. In addition, the La Daurada restaurant and event venue, La Daurada, will become a focal point with its space of more than 10,000 square metres overlooking the regatta course for the press centre and hospitality facilities.
The shortest month of the year brings with it one of the longest celebrations of the calendar; Carnaval
will be celebrated in different Catalan cities and towns this week.
and the Burial of the Sardine are just some of the fantastic high jinks Catalans will get up to this week.
also known as Fat Thursday with the arrival of the Carnival King
and it will last until the following Wednesday
there will be around 40 different parades happening across the different neighborhoods of the Catalan capital alone
Check out the Catalan News guide below to make the most of these exhilarating festivities.
‘Fat Thursday’ marks the beginning of the celebrations and is the day when people are encouraged to indulge in fatty foods
such as botifarra d'ou (egg sausage) and truita (omelet) or coca de llardons (pork crackling cake).
As far as festivities are concerned, Thursday is a great day to get your carnival groove on. In Vilanova i la Geltrú, a coastal town south of Barcelona, there will be what locals call 'La Merengada' - a massive meringue food fight
Children (and more than a few adults) will gather at 5:30 pm in front of Blanch bakery on Avinguda Francesc Macià
to partake in the annual sticky dessert hurling ritual.
there will be 'Arribo' parades all over Catalonia as the king or queen of Carnestoltes "arrives" to take part in the fun.
Sitges, north of Vilanova i la Geltrú on the Garraf coast, and a rival of Vilanova for who has the best carnival celebrations, is famous for its opening parade, but Barcelona and other towns will have their own ones too.
The show in Sitges starts at 7.15 pm at La Fragata.
In Barcelona, the cosmic-themed arrival parade for Queen Belluga kicks off at 5:15 pm. But watch out! Normally the parade starts down La Rambla boulevard, but due to the ongoing works, the fun will all go down in the Sants area, with the parade starting at Plaça Bonet i Muixí.
Towns like Vilanova i la Geltrú celebrate the 'Arribo' on Friday, not Thursday, as do several Barcelona's districts, some of which will have their own smaller parades, as Les Corts's festivities, which start at 5:00 pm at Plaça de Comas.
In Raval, the parade Ravalstoltada will start at 6:00 pm at the Rambla de Raval.
Friday in particular is a big deal for schoolchildren in Catalonia as it is a day they'll be sure to dress up for parades in their hometowns. This comes, of course, after a week of very specific attire at school: pajama day, mismatched socks day… you get the picture. It's also one of the nights you're most likely to see adults out in costume at a club or bar.
On Saturday, several parades will take place all over Barcelona throughout the day.
In the Eixample district, the LGBTIQ+ collective’s parade will start at Pl. De Universitat square at 5:30 pm.
Meanwhile, in Solsona, Carnival is done differently. On Saturday, the traditional 'mata-ruc' donkey-killing ceremony will take place. This, thankfully, is not as appalling as it sounds: it's only a fake donkey that's hung from the church bell tower.
The expression ‘mata-rucs’ was once used disparagingly about the residents of Solsona, but has now been reclaimed, and on Saturday, an ‘Honorary Mata-rucs’ will be proclaimed. Head to the very aptly named Plaça del Ruc square at 7:30 pm to witness this peculiar tradition.
Sunday is a big day for parades as there is usually more than one in the same city or town on this day.
For those whose clothes didn’t get dirty enough at 'la merengada', there will be a candy-throwing war known as 'la Comparsa' on Sunday in Vilanova i la Geltrú.
In the city of Sant Celoni, the traditional ‘Ball de Gitanes’ will take place on Sunday on the Plaça de la Vila square. The dance dates back to 1767, although it is pagan in origin and was traditionally performed in the Catalan Vallès region.
In Sitges, there will be a parade for children at 12 noon, and another for adults at 7.30 pm.
Monday is usually the day of rest after a weekend of Carnival madness, but this is not always the case! In Roses, a town on the Costa Brava, it's actually the last day of Carnival. Unlike the rest of Catalonia's sardine burials, Roses is on Monday. The town will also be hosting an 'arrossada popular' rice meal for the community.
In some places, such as Vidreres near Girona and Ponts near Lleida, Tuesday (‘Mardi Gras’ in much of the Carnival-celebrating world but just Carnival Tuesday or 'Dimarts de Carnaval' here) is the day locals eat 'ranxo' stew, a special meat and vegetable stew made from the ingredients residents bring to the town square.
Also not to be missed is Sitges' Extermination parade on Tuesday night, one of Catalonia's most popular Carnival processions. Beginning at 9 pm, expect to party all night.
Before that, Sitges are putting on a kids’ carnival parade at 12 noon.
Carnival comes to a close with the symbolic burial of the sardine ('enterrament de la sardina') on Ash Wednesday, or 'Dimecres de Cendra', as revelers put an end to the period of excess before Lent.
In the Catalan capital alone, Ciutat Vella, Sants-Montjuïc, Les Corts, Horta-Guinardó, Nou Barris, Sant Andreu, and Sant Martí will all be burying sardines - more than enough fish funerals for Barcelona residents and visitors to pick from!
Vilanova i La Geltrú will host the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup from the 14th to the 17th of September 2023
The Defender of the America’s Cup and the five Challenger teams: INEOS Britannia
and Orient Express Racing Team will all be fielding strong sailor line-ups and will be keen to signal their intentions for the America’s Cup
races will be streamed online on the official America’s Cup website
the first Preliminary Regatta is based around the entire port with the centrepiece being the Race Village located in Plaça del Port that will include the main stage with live presenters (Catalan
official America’s Cup merchandising store and a gastronomy area with stalls serving food and drink
there will be three more large viewing screens on the promenade and the main beach
for fans to relax and watch the boats racing in front of them and close up action on the giant screens
The team bases will be set up towards the entrance to the port itself whilst the La Daurada complex of restaurants
beach club and nightclub will provide hospitality for the event
The race area will be close to shore and easily viewable completely FREE along the Platja de Ribes Roges beachfront
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The preliminary event in Vilanova i la Geltru is completely FREE for visitors with ample waterfront areas to watch the racing and enjoy the spectacle.
There will be no ticketing arrangements and America’s Cup Events will not make any VIP Hospitality packages available. We encourage everyone to come and soak in the unique atmosphere of world-class America’s Cup racing that promises to be fast
Visitors to Vilanova i La Geltrú who prefer to stay on-shore can take advantage of the two main viewing areas - the Race Village located in the Plaça del Port and the Platja de Ribes Roges.
For those spectators wishing to watch the races from their own vessels
areas will be dedicated for yachts and small crafts around the perimeter
Be sure you register your boat to stay up to date with all the latest information.
For those unable to attend the America’s Cup races in person and see the action just off the waterfront
don’t worry! The America’s Cup races will be live-streamed across the official America’s Cup website as well as available to watch on YouTube
Racing will be conducted in the world’s newest foiling class
the AC40 and all boats will be sailed in one-design mode and equally matched
Racing starts with two days of fleet racing where all the six teams will line up on the start line together – which promises to be a fantastic spectacle: Fast
the top two teams will progress to the winner-takes-all final match race to decide the ultimate winner of the event
The Vilanova i La Geltrú regatta will be the first time teams will be racing against each other
Lessons will be learned ahead of the second Preliminary Regatta in Jeddah from 29th November through to the 2nd December 2023
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Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy headlines the Vida music festival on Thursday
which takes place in the seaside town of Vilanova i la Geltrú
who did the opening act accompanied by Sílvia Pérez Cruz
The music festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with "the most complete lineup of its history," as organizers explained that they formed the lineup in a "singular
decentralized and with a financial responsibility." Their motto this year is '10th revolution.'
One of the first to perform after "being awake since 4 am in the morning and flying directly from London," were London duo Dolores Forever featuring the two friends Hannah Wilson and Julia Fabrin
Even though there was not a large audience as the gig started at 6:15 pm
the around 200 spectators enjoyed all the songs of the not-at-all exhausted duo that woke up very early in the morning
said that this concert was “exciting” even though he has not “played a concert since September last year
because I became a father about five months ago,” he said
”I am more nervous than usual but I am excited as well
as this is a special festival so it will be great,” Joy told this media outlet as he will be singing “to friends that came to the Vida Festival,” but he recognizes it “adds more pressure because you are playing to your friends.”
The concert started with ‘Missing Piece,’ and he said at the finish of the song: ‘Es chulísimo estar aquí!’ Which was followed by ‘Mess is Mine,’ and one of his most famous songs: ‘Like Gold.’
as organizers expected 10,000 attendees on the first night
The gig also had songs to the likes of: ‘Red Eye,’ ‘Wasted Time,’ or even ‘Clarity,’ one of his most recent songs from his latest album: ‘In Our Own Sweet Time.’
One of the most awaited songs from Vance Joy during the gig was ‘Catalonia’ a song that he “never really had an intention of: ‘I am going to write a song about Catalonia,’ but I am glad that we wrote the song
it is a special place,” he said to this media outlet before the gig
The concert ended with ‘Riptide,’ his most famous song from his first album released in 2014
is celebrating his 10th anniversary since his first EP was released
and I had no idea about the music industry
I went on a rollercoaster because Riptide became a popular song around the world
now I am a bit more relaxed,” he told Catalan News
Joy has already performed in Catalonia in the past. In fact, he wrote a song named 'Catalonia', which has a video recorded mostly on beaches in Costa Brava
"I did not want the song's video to be cheesy or I did not want people from here to think: are you trying to tell our story?" Vance Joy told Catalan News back then
"I was lucky to work with some really talented filmmakers," he added back then
he is “nervous to speak Castellano” but he is aware that he must learn “chulisimo.”
so maybe I have two more years and then it is time,” he added
Among the most different touches of the Vida Festival
an Indian artist who mixes soul and sounds from their home country
highlighted all their hard work during the first decade of the festival and ensures that after so many years of hard work
they have now the "reward," he told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) minutes after the first guests arrived at the event
a loyal public that buys the tickets as soon as the year's edition of the festival is over without knowing what will be next year's line up," he added
one of the plans for the organizers is to continue using their motto 'This is not a festival.'
One of the main elements of Vida Festival is the amount of new artists that "balance" the main international singers, one of them was back in 2017, Rosalía before she became an international pop star.
Around the festival-goers there are many of different ages, such as 11-year-old Queralt, and her father Xavier, who both came from Granollers, just north of Barcelona. This is the first music festival for Queralt, who is a huge fan of Vance Joy.
Among other guests, there was Carla, from Vilanova i la Geltrú, who had worked in the festival for five years, and now she enjoys the music as another spectator. She is one of the many that bought the tickets months ago before the line-up was even unveiled.
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It’s just two months now before the America’s Cup world descends on the beautiful port city of Vilanova i La Geltrú, the capital of the Garraf region of Catalonia, for the first Preliminary Regatta on the road to the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona.
The six America’s Cup teams will be de-camping to the venue from their bases in Barcelona with their pure one design AC40s being the weapon of choice for a mixture of desperately close fleet racing before match racing (one-on-one) will decide the eventual winners. It’s the first time in this Cup cycle that we will see the teams competing against each other and will give an early indication of form.
The Preliminary Regatta will run from the 14th to the 17th September with the America’s Cup race village opening at 11am daily ahead of the team dock-outs at between 12.30pm and 1.30pm. Racing will commence around 3.30pm and, depending on the conditions, will be concluded by around 5.30pm. The Race Village will kick into gear from 6pm through to 8pm with sailor presentations and reviews of the racing.
A stroll up the tree-lined Ramblas in Vilanova i La Geltrú reveals a world of shopping and outside dining whilst a visit to the neo-classical, palm-tree lined Plaza de la Villa, one of the most romantic and beautiful squares in Spain is a must-see for visitors. Down near the marina area visitors can also stroll along the wide elevated walkway and view the fabulous fountain and whale-tail displays whilst connecting with the sea below as it laps the port breakwaters.
Thousands of people gathered in Sitges on Sunday for one of the most lively and international carnival celebrations in Catalonia.
This carnival was the first after the European Union's glitter ban
prompting organizers to come up with innovative ideas such as using leftover glitter from previous years or investing in more expensive but biodegradable glitter
the traditional Carnival 'Comparsa' battle filled the streets with candy and color
The ongoing drought led to a reduction in the use of sweets, and the town council recommended a smaller celebration area to save water for street cleaning.
For the first time, the capacity of the main square was monitored and attendees were required to wear wristbands to enter. A total of 9,835 people were registered, including 8,000 adults and 1,400 children.
and certainly nothing like it in the sport of sailing
With the famous and revered trophy on stage at the Opening Press Conference
showed their game-faces and the journey to what is one of the ultimate sporting trophies in the world began
a veering south-westerly from 195° delivering 7-9 knots of breeze atop a crystal
early-afternoon light chop at 0.3m with temperatures nudging 28 degrees
The sailors would probably wish for more wind
and they may well get it over the coming days
but for the start of the first Preliminary Regatta of this America’s Cup cycle
In sailing there’s plenty of folklore around practice races – winning is often seen as a precursor of demise – but for the professionals of the America’s Cup
the folklore was firmly parked to one side
Gloves were off as the warning signal started and for the first time since March 2021
Race 1: The tale of the race was ‘win the start
win the race’ and as Pete Burling led a pack of boats back to the line from the starboard marker buoy with 30 seconds to go
the line opened up for him and he could reach down to the far end of the line and start
Emirates Team New Zealand snatched the initial lead and with clear air could dominate the middle and let the others settle
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli initially offered the early challenge
but the surprise package was Orient Express Racing Team who elected to start on port tack and headed out to the right hand side of the course where the pressure was building
NYYC American Magic muscled into the top four and elected to mix things up at the top mark
The Kiwis rounded first at the starboard marker with Luna Rossa second and Orient Express third
whilst American Magic headed out to the port marker buoy on a good layline and split the run
Emirates Team New Zealand kept an eye on the fleet down the middle of the run as Tom Slingsby having initially gone far right (looking down the course) gybed and headed to the far left
Slingsby and Goodison rolled the dice and as Burling and Outteridge rounded the port marker
American Magic rounded the starboard with Luna Rossa taking the port gate
Orient Express came off their foils dramatically and dropped out of both the podium places and the race
The second beat was a marked by a great boat-on-boat tussle between the Italians and Americans with American Magic holding a slender lead and covering tenaciously whilst Emirates Team New Zealand started to pick their windshifts with a loose cover and casually stretched their lead
A poor layline call by the Italians at the final windward mark saw them miss the port gate and forced a tack back to the starboard rounding buoy thus releasing American Magic to try and close the gauge to the Kiwis
and the Kiwis able to pretty much pick their puffs down the final run
it was never going to be a gap that could be broached
and Emirates Team New Zealand scored the first win of the 37th America’s Cup cycle with consummate ease
Alinghi Red Bull Racing who bettered INEOS Britannia on the second beat having been behind after a poor start
were fourth and the British ended up in fifth
The French managed to get going again and will be scored sixth
Fabulous opening race where the sailing rich got richer
Race 2: Well we didn’t see this one coming
In marginal foiling conditions as the wind eased to around 7 knots
Orient Express Racing Team showed brilliant racecraft to stay on their foils as the countdown hit zero
approaching high on a reach above the line and came smoking off the start-line at the pin end and stole an enormous lead whilst the others struggled to get pace
The French hit the left boundary and tacked across to cover the fleet who had all played the right where the perceived better breeze was and looked for all the world like they were in full control of the race
Luna Rossa gave chase with Emirates Team New Zealand just behind
the French race was done when a poor exit on a tack to starboard saw them come off the foils after missing the power-up pump on their mainsail
It was fatal for their race and try as they could the French just couldn’t get started again and watched the fleet sail through
Frustrating times after a terrific piece of initial sailing
Luna Rossa and ETNZ kept well clear of the wallowing French and headed out to the left boundary with the Kiwis forcing the Italians off after going into their super high mode
The Kiwis kept on and then tacked back to port as the Italians clicked into a tiny bit more breeze and held to cross with Nathan Outteridge
doing a sensational VMG duck on Luna Rossa and gaining vital position to their right for the starboard advantage on the return
and they face-slammed the Italians on the layline to the starboard marker
From there on it was a masterclass of light air precision and power generation from Andy Maloney and Blair Tuke
whilst Nathan Outteridge and Pete Burling just picked their angles on the pressure
the Kiwis were hundreds of metres ahead and rounded up to a second beat where they would lap the back-markers still struggling with flight
This was front-running at its finest and by the final top mark
ETNZ rounded the starboard marker and opted for the left-hand side of the course
keeping the power on and scoring another outstanding win
whilst confusion reigned with American Magic seemingly stopping mid-way down the run and being passed by INEOS Britannia
Race 3: A request to delay the start as American Magic fought to clear a line from their foils was denied and the starting sequence got underway with a reduced fleet
Emirates Team New Zealand and INEOS Britannia opted for a port tack start with ben Ainslie hitting the committee boat end bang on the gun with ETNZ up to windward
Luna Rossa opted for a starboard tack start and absolutely aced it with power and pace
The Kiwis spotted the Italian threat quickly and tacked up the middle of the course to give chase whilst the British held on to the right-hand boundary and ultimately a poor tack in marginal 6-7 knot conditions saw them fall back
The race now was almost a match-race with Luna Rossa in the commanding position
a complete change of thought took the Italians almost out to the right boundary and by the final third of the beat
A slow tack to the starboard gate at mark 1 whilst the Kiwis held on a beautiful layline to the port gate saw the gap close further but the Italians were in the lead down a split run which by the leeward gate saw ETNZ take the right hand starboard gate (looking down the course) whilst the Italians rounded the port gate and headed out to the right side of the course (looking upwind)
Almost immediately the Kiwis looked to have seized the lead whilst behind
a remarkable recovery from American Magic saw them overtake INEOS Britannia on the downwind leg after the British spun out and crashed off their foils on a gybe mid-leg
A superb windward leg of real pace and control in the light
saw the Kiwis extend into a lead and once these ultimate front-runners were ahead
A split gate decision at the final windward mark kept things interesting with the Kiwis going to the starboard gate
the Italians taking the port and for a moment it looked like Luna Rossa had gained a little
Emirates Team New Zealand stuck to the process
trimmed accurately and kept left to left middle
before calling a brilliant layline on starboard gybe into the finish line to score three wins from three races
Luna Rossa made it three second places from three whilst American Magic will be hoping that the opening practice racing is where all their bad luck for the regatta has been expended
Fantastic recovery from the American team who are super rapid and a real threat in this regatta
The road to the 37th America’s Cup in 2024 officially begins at the first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú from the 14-17th September 2023 and with racing in strict one-design moded AC40s
technique will be rewarded over technology and ‘consistency’ is the mantra all around the Port Vell as the teams prepare for battle
some of the teams competed in a first practice racing event to evaluate race management
media and technology in mid-August and this was the first time that the AC40’s had lined-up competitively in this America’s Cup cycle
It was an early look at form and will be followed by another practice racing event later this week with all the teams taking part
provides some early clues ahead of Vilanova i La Geltrú and it’s clear from the on the water action
that all teams are taking these races seriously and evaluating their speed and technique
the six AC teams will race eight fleet races which promises to be a crowded start-line with a premium on finding and holding a lane off the start line before locking into the first shift and clear air
Tactical boat positioning will be everything whilst maintaining 100% flight time is crucial
and for the world’s best foiling sailors
Here we look at the very early form and assess who is expected to do well in Vilanova i La Geltrú:
Emirates Team New Zealand: The very fact that the Kiwis took delivery of the first AC40 and enjoyed a maiden sail on the 20th November 2022
plus the fact that they are the Defenders of the 37th America’s Cup
puts the team firmly as the benchmark team to beat
Peter Burling has formed a brilliant helming partnership with Nathan Outteridge whilst the team has adopted a consistent team selection policy in their Flight/Trim Controllers with Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney sailing both the AC40 and AC75 regularly
Two-boat AC40 training in Auckland concluded at the end of May 2023 with the established team being pushed hard by Josh Junior and Leo Takahashi where the team explored some aggressive starting moves attempting to get the other boat off the foils with vicious luffs in the final pre-start sequence
the Kiwis have switched between AC40 and AC75 training
refining their windward heel low-riding technique upwind and low VMG running downwind
they will be marked heavily from the outset.
INEOS Britannia: A productive winter of training in Palma saw the emergence of Giles Scott as a stand-out helm
most likely to be paired with Team Principle Ben Ainslie
The addition of International Moth World Champion Dylan Fletcher-Scott brought additional firepower and competition to the afterguard selection process whilst Ben Cornish impressed mightily in testing scenarios on both their LEQ12 prototype T6 and the AC40
The team’s concentration has been on developing their AC75 raceboat nicknamed ‘RB3’ but this is a team with serious talent to burn as they proved against the Kiwis in the pre-event racing
Ainslie’s competitiveness flows through the team
Giles Scott’s enormous talent is undeniable and on race days they are a match for anyone
Reduced time in the AC40 may be their undoing but the British have proven that when it matters
Vilanova i La Geltrú will give the team a great opportunity to perfect foiling race-craft and as Challenger of Record with incredible coaching staff and resources
NYYC American Magic: A brilliant winter of training in Pensacola
the undoubted foiling generation superstar
has propelled NYYC American Magic high in the rankings
The promotion of Paul Goodison to helming partner
a three-time International Moth World Champion in his own right (Slingsby has two world titles)
has seen the Americans conduct extensive two-boat AC40 testing at pace but it’s the depth of their settled squad that is most impressive
Michael Menninger plus the next generation in Harry Melges and Severin Gramm have all been pushing hard to make the starting line-up for Vilanova i La Geltrú
keeping the team honest and deep into the data
In the pre-event against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
the team impressed with first class boat positioning and inherent speed upwind and great technique downwind
Should have a very good regatta – lots of expectation
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli: The team with helming talent in abundance
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has enjoyed the most impressive winter training from their base in Cagliari in their LEQ12 and have looked sharp when training in their AC40 in Barcelona
Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni are the likely starting helms
bringing their experience from AC36 to the Preliminary Regatta
but Marco Gradoni and Ruggero Tita have looked rapid in both the LEQ12 and AC40
the Italians looked sharp on the water with excellent time-on-distance and magnificent Flight Control and trim from a pool of top-class sailors including Vittorio Bissaro
Despite their obvious focus on development with their LEQ12
and Jimmy Spithill’s insistence that they are underdogs going into the first Preliminary Regatta in recent interviews
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli are expected to show well in Vilanova i La Geltrú and will bring all their experience and training to bear
Alinghi Red Bull Racing: Arguably the most exciting and dynamic team to watch in this America’s Cup cycle
Alinghi Red Bull Racing have been on the steepest of learning curves since launching their campaign in August 2022
Arnaud Psarofaghis has proven to be a stand-out leader of the sailing team and has formed excellent partnerships with both Maxime Bachelin and Nicholas Charbonnier whilst the coaching of Dean Barker
Phil Robertson and Jason Waterhouse has propelled the team forward
Bryan Mettraux and Yves Detrey have been sensational in the Flight Control and trimming positions and will be key to success
Two-boat training in the team’s AC40s has been electric to watch with no quarter given and this is a team full of youthful enthusiasm tempered with experience within the team that could show very well in Vilanova i La Geltrú
Orient Express Racing Team: The great unknowns for Vilanova i La Geltrú
the French are attempting to fast-bridge a large gap in monohull foiling experience having only taken delivery of their AC40 in mid-August
this is a team brimming with both talent and experience of some of the best foiling sailors of present and past generations
Quentin Delapierre and Kevin Peponnet are no strangers to top-flight international foiling competition whilst the trimming/Flight Control pool is strong with Matthieu Vandamme
François Morvan and Jason Saunders all vying for positions
will be eyeing a lot of learnings from Vilanova i La Geltrú and for sure
particularly as the AC40s are all set up in one-design mode
they will be hard to beat but time in the boat
could well be a deciding factor in the overall standings.
Conclusion: Vilanova i La Geltrú will
be a desperately close regatta and it’s the two teams that can deliver ultimate consistency over eight fleet races that will then contest the match-racing final where a very different skill-set will be required
Everyone will be watching technique and close-quarters manoeuvres eagerly and we could well see different sailing styles being adopted and adapted by the teams
Expect all the AC40s to be low-riding upwind and watch out for the downwind trimming as the teams all make best use of any wave-forms and gusts on the course
Calling the winner is a mug’s game – who do you think will win the first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú?
Having come into the final day of the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup here in Vilanova i La Geltrú sitting in fifth place
it was an outside bet at best that NYYC American Magic could climb the leaderboard and challenge for a spot in the Match-Race Grand Final
But the America’s Cup is where the best sailors perform and the outstanding team of the day in Tom Slingsby
Riley Gibbs and Michael Menninger put on a masterclass of big-time regatta sailing
sailing unbelievably smoothly and scoring a three-race string of 2-1-1 to stun the rest of the fleet. All along the waterfront crowds flocked to see the drama unfold and with an armada of craft of all shapes and sizes making up the spectator fleet
the atmosphere was electric as the afternoon progressed here in beautiful Vilanova i La Geltrú
For many commentators who have watched NYYC American Magic in recent training sessions it was no surprise to see the team perform
In Barcelona training sessions and all throughout the winter out in Pensacola
incrementally improving under the watchful eye of Team Principle Terry Hutchinson and the coaching team led by Tom Burnham
Today they delivered and although it was a shame for the spectators and the global viewing audience that in the Match Race Grand Final against Emirates Team New Zealand
the wind shut down and the time-limit for reaching the first mark was exceeded
thus giving the win to NYYC American Magic
no-one was in any doubt that the Americans sailed brilliantly today and thoroughly deserved to win
The concluding day was effectively an arm wrestle over the first three races between Emirates Team New Zealand and NYYC American Magic but there were some superb performances
most notably from the Orient Express Racing Team who
finished in third much to the delight of their supporters and sponsors
Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had an almost ‘private battle’ out on the beautiful waters of Vilanova i La Geltrú over the first two races but a gear failure for the Swiss ahead of the start of race 3 denied the fans the spectacle in race three
The only disappointing team were INEOS Britannia who found that their lack of time in the boat came back to haunt them – Sir Ben Ainslie will be looking to address this ahead of the next regatta in Jeddah
saying: “I think Catalonia and Vilanova has been amazing
I was in the Race Village a few times and felt the atmosphere
the weather has done everything it can to disrupt us
but I think that what it says to me is that the America’s Cup is going to be a big event and I picked that up from the Volunteers and the people
I reflect on how well the event has been run
Leslie (Ryan) and the team have done a really good job and been well supported and that’s a good team for the future
There will be a pretty serious amount of de-briefing after this to tidy up around the edges because the America’s Cup is for keeps but the people of Vilanova and Catalonia
they’ve just been amazing and that’s the bit that makes it.”
Helmsman NYYC American Magic: “That was amazing
we put it together and yeah we got the result
a couple of little mistakes but when we made those mistakes it wasn’t in too critical a time so we were able to get three good results and then lead into that final race and with the wind
it was nice knowing that you were leading going into that one
going into today and getting a 2-1-1 and taking the win
Trimmer Emirates Team New Zealand: “It would have been nice to have had a shot at them in that final race and obviously we would have backed ourselves
but they’ve been sailing incredibly well
fought back nicely and for us just a couple of unforced errors were the difference between winning and not so that’s something we will look at as a group
I think we’ve got to be very proud with how we sailed
we set the bar in that light wind which was really pleasing.”
Helmsman Orient Express Racing: “We felt good
we feel much more confident on the boat day after day so that gives us a lot of confidence for the next event in Jeddah in a month and a half
It’s a really good start for us and an incredible start for the team to be on the podium after just 15 days of sailing…I think
everyone is surprised about the performance except us
we saw in the line-ups that we are not that far from the front of the fleet
in tactics it’s just a boat like any other boat and you have to find the right trajectory with good pace
It’s a foiling boat but it’s still a boat.”
Helmsman Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli: “It was disappointing not to make the final but hats off to the Americans and the Kiwis
I thought they got off the line pretty well and they were able to sail clean races whereas we were stuck in the pack a bit today
I thought we sailed well in the first two to get to where we got
but in the last one after the battery change
we lost the comms system between me and Cecco (Bruni) so that was a lot more challenging than we expected it to be and what really cost us was a bad manoeuvre
It is what is and it’s just a shame that we didn’t get to see a real good battle in the final with the wind shutting off.”
Helmsman Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “For sure the mentality in the team is really positive
It’s a shame to end the regatta like that but I think yesterday we did work on the review thinking we could do better and it was great because the first two races we had a full-on battle with Luna Rossa in both of them
but we managed to beat them in the second one so that was great racing and it was full-on
All the teams are sailing really well and the difference between the teams are really narrow but the positive to take out was the performance of the boat
the performance of the team and so for the next regatta we go there with even more strength in us because we go there to win the regatta
Helmsman INEOS Britannia: “When I look at the overall programme
clearly we’ve prioritised the testing side of things too much
We thought we could get away with not putting too much time in the AC40 and still be there or thereabouts
you’ve got to be out there getting the hours in…We didn’t sail well
we didn’t put enough time in the boat and there were some other underlying issues in terms of our preparation time in the boat so you put those three together
maybe we shouldn’t be surprised with the result
But any professional sporting team it’s not okay to finish last so we are going to have a good debrief with Jeddah in a few months
what are we going to do to get ourselves more competitive for Jeddah but of course not completely take our focus off the test boat and making sure we have the fastest AC75 for next summer – that’s the balance that we’ve got to find and clearly we’ve set ourselves up to fail here which is tough.”
RACE REPORTSMatch-Race Final – With NYYC American topping the final series standings after a simply stunning day where they took their chances
front-ran like demons and sailed incredibly smoothly
it was all-on for the Match race Grand Final against Emirates Team New Zealand
The Kiwis had been the team to beat all regatta
Their speed and execution of manoeuvres was widely viewed as the blueprint for AC40 sailing and in foiling conditions
these two outstanding syndicates of the 37th America’s Cup would have been hard to split
with the seconds ticking down on the start
the wind shut down and first Emirates Team New Zealand splashed down to displacement
the Kiwis struggled even to start correctly
copping a number of penalties but as both boats headed upwind
With a ten minute time-limit to reach the first gate and with the crews desperately trying every trick to try and coax their boat up on the foils
speeds dropped to around 5-7 knots and the flow just wouldn’t stick
The only option for the Race Committee was to abandon the Match Race Grand Final and thereby award the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup to New York Yacht Club American Magic
Fleet Race 3 – Life comes down to a few moments
Sport comes down to execution and with podium places up for grabs
the chance of making this afternoon’s Match Race Grand Final is in each team’s hands with all to play for
With an east-south-easterly breeze of 10-12 knots
calling for a six-leg course and dialled into the start sequence bang on time
Huge importance was placed on the midfield to make a statement in the opening race and off the line
NYYC American Magic and Emirates Team New Zealand started at the starboard end of the line and came off with pace to establish an early order
Overnight leader Orient Express Racing Team opted for a port tack start
ducked the fleet and hit the right boundary
Initially though the advantage was with Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison on Magic up the middle of the course whilst Emirates Team New Zealand tacked off and played the right boundary
As the two front-runners converged for the first time
Goodison slammed a tack on the face of the Kiwis who calmly dialled away immediately to port tack and back out to the boundary
Peter Burling in the starboard helm on Te Kakahi closed the gap with great pace on starboard tack and when Goodison came back across
dialled in their high mode and forced the Americans away
and with the high mode engaged the Kiwis squeezed up on to the layline to the port windward marker buoy and whilst NYYC American Magic were forced to do two more tacks to round the starboard marker buoy
the Kiwis were off and building an insurmountable lead
rounded in second to chase the Kiwis off the port marker but all eyes were on the downwind speed of NYYC American Magic to see if they could close the gap
the Kiwis just kept it smooth and after gybing on the left boundary
came across to cover the Americans but with a lead out at 140 metres
the best front-runners in the Cup just kept on extending
An unremarkable second beat where the Kiwis maintained a watching cover over the fleet as American Magic opted for the middle early after the port buoy rounding at the leeward gate
saw Emirates Team New Zealand again extend
the big battle was between Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Alinghi Red Bull Racing who had a thrilling battle behind the front two boats
The second downwind leg saw the wind drop a knot or two and suddenly it was the teams that could adapt their mode and trim to the conditions that benefitted
a brilliant tight gybe around the mark saw the Swiss stay ahead of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli but by the top of the second beat
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was in touch and on their transom
Emirates Team New Zealand were in a league of their own
stretching away relentlessly and headed up the final beat on leg five again with a loose cover on Magic but crucially with the ability to sail their own race
Rounding the final mark with a massive lead
the Kiwis made no mistake and flew down the final run to take a dominant first win on the final day
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli eked ahead of Alinghi Red Bull Racing on the final beat and held down the run
The points are getting close for those top two spots
Fleet Race 4 – Easy to tell the tale of this race as being won at the start and whilst that may be true
it belies the sheer brilliance of a remarkable race executed by Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison on NYYC American Magic
With the fleet all bunched up at the starboard end of the start line
at the lead back in it was all about time-on-distance and finding a gap on a very crowded start line
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli broke early to the pin end
whilst NYYC American Magic and Emirates Team New Zealand came in at pace mid-line with the Americans judging it to perfection and forcing the Kiwis off to windward
Alinghi Red Bull Racing had started just to windward of the middle line gaggle and held a commanding starboard tack position
Nathan Outteridge was forced to duck the stern of the Swiss as they came back on port tack and quickly the Kiwis were finding no easy lanes and turbulent airflow
A slam-dunk tack on their face by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli again pushed the Kiwis off to the right of the course and suddenly they were behind Orient Express Racing Team and struggling
saw the Americans extend into a handy lead where they could dictate their destiny
The fleet settled with Alinghi Red Bull Racing in second enjoying another big tussle with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli but this time determined to execute and stay ahead
five boats rounded the starboard gate at pace and it was a magnificent sight as the AC40s headed out to the left boundary (looking down the course) before a fast gybe and back to the middle of the course
NYYC American Magic were smoothness personified
simply making no mistakes and over the next two legs it was all about consistency through the manoeuvres and just keeping a watching brief on the fleet
there was no panic onboard and suddenly we saw the might of the Americans when they got ahead
they looked imperious and by the final windward mark had extended into an enormous lead that was never going to be closed
The big battle behind on the final beat was again between the Swiss and the Italians but Maxime Bachelin and Arnaud Psarofaghis proved beyond doubt that they have serious talent
keeping ahead and deploying match-race style tactics relentlessly covering the Italians
Another huge battle ensued behind with Emirates Team New Zealand desperate to get past Quentin Delapierre and Kevin Peponnet on Orient Express Racing Team and in the final throws of the last beat
were forced to duck the French on port but crucially
hit the left-hand boundary downwind and squeezed ahead
Every point matters in this series but what this race proved was that passing lanes are almost non-existent and it’s all about boat positioning in key
Alinghi Red Bull Racing secured a brilliant second
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in third and Emirates Team New Zealand in fourth
Fleet Race 5 – All action in the starting box area for Race 5 and for Alinghi Red Bull Racing it was a huge disappointment to have a hydraulic issue that precluded them from starting
Luna Rossa gained a boundary penalty in the countdown as they
Orient Express and INEOS Britannia all opted for a port tack start and set up at the port end of the line
Emirates Team New Zealand reached down the line on starboard tack
and put serious pressure on the port tackers to keep clear
Meanwhile American Magic came in at the windward starboard end of the line
also with clear air to start and then tacked across with the port tackers to take the right-hand boundary
and flew out to the boundary and when the fleet came together
it was clear that they had established an important lead that gave them control of the race
it was all about minimising manoeuvres and the fleet criss-crossed the course
Emirates Team New Zealand had only executed four tacks as they elected the starboard marker to round whilst USA came in fast on the port marker and it looked very much like that would be that
The fleet headed off downwind and it was vanilla stuff but everything changed on the final gybe to the starboard layline with Emirates Team New Zealand getting it all wrong on the transition through a gybe from port to starboard
splashing down and opening the door for the fleet to pass
Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison took every advantage and seized a lead that they would just relentlessly build from there
Emirates Team New Zealand got foiling again and now the chase was on to secure their position in the Match-Race final
Spain: the beautiful Catalan port of Vilanova i La Geltrú is getting ready to host one of the most hotly anticipated regattas anywhere in the sailing world this year as the America’s Cup comes to town between the 14th-17th September 2023 and is working closely with three vital Local Partners
It will be the first time that the competitors for the world’s oldest continually contested international sporting trophy will go head-to-head
competing in equally matched AC40 yachts that all the teams have been training on in the run up to the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024
These are the boats that will also be used for the Youth & Women’s America’s Cup and have proven to be the most exciting new foiling class in the world with speeds recorded
The town of Vilanova i La Geltrú will be abuzz with spectators and America’s Cup fans
all eager to get a glimpse of the world’s finest foiling sailors as they engage for the first time in both fleet races and one-on-one match racing just metres off the harbour walls
live global broadcast and through America’s Cup media channels
Vilanova i La Geltrú will be the epicentre of the racing that is some of the most anticipated in the lead-up to the America’s Cup itself in Barcelona in September and October 2024
USA and France will contest the preliminary regatta and speaking about the event
is grateful to the port of Vilanova i La Geltrú saying: “Our goal has always been to spread the positive message of the America’s Cup around Catalunya and the rest of Spain
whist also engaging with fans globally.”
“In selecting Vilanova i La Geltrú as the venue for the first preliminary regatta on the road to AC37 in Barcelona
we found the perfect local partners and our thanks go to Pendennis Vilanova who are providing spectacular marine facilities both on and off the water for the teams and visiting super yachts
to the impressive waterside La Daurada complex for providing the world-class AC Club hospitality facilities plus the AC media centre and to the Club Nautic de Vilanova who are the hosting yacht club and providing working space for the event organisers and officials.”
“This is a major undertaking for the town of Vilanova i La Geltrú and we are very grateful for their positive engagement throughout this process – it’s now our turn to repay their support by delivering world-class racing and the widest possible media and fan engagement.”
Work has been underway on the delivery of the regatta since the formal announcement in March 2023 with ACE working closely with the local partners
Pendennis Vilanova: The superyacht refit and maintenance facility in Vilanova i La Geltrú
will be the base for the team operations and crane in/out area as well as berthing for the AC40s
Speaking about the involvement of Pendennis Vilanova
the company’s Executive Chairman said: “The whole team at Pendennis Vilanova are extremely proud to be involved in the 37th America’s Cup
Being able to support an event of this caliber and facilitate bringing it to the heart of our Vilanova community for all to enjoy is truly a privilege.”
La Daurada: The fabulous waterside restaurant and nightclub facility
are providing this space to the America’s Cup to use as the main AC Club hospitality space
parking in front of the space and a secondary facility
the chic La Marabanda beach club – famous for its Mediterranean cuisine
the General Manager of La Daurada is excited about the event
saying: “For our city to host the 37th America’s Cup preliminary regatta is a very important milestone. And
it’s an enormous satisfaction to have decisively contributed to making this historic opportunity happen
joining the project by providing our fully equipped 10,000m2 facility
La Daurada is located in a privileged site
We are very proud of ACE’s trust in us to become the official venue for the AC Club hospitality and Media Centre
in which more than 80 national and international media will work during the event.”
Club Nàutic de Vilanova: The primary yacht club facility in Vilanova i La Geltrú has been working with ACE across all aspects of the event from the on-water volunteering
berthing and providing all of the working spaces for ACE and Regatta officials as well as the Main Operations Centre
the President of Club Nàutic Vilanova is extremely proud that his club is hosting the first preliminary regatta
saying: “For Club Nàutic Vilanova the fact of being one of the venues of Port de Vilanova i la Geltrú that will host the America's Cup
We will be one of the few clubs in the country that have participated in such a global impact competition
At this stage it also recognises the investment made at the Club Nàutic facilities which started in 2015 following the renewal of the Ports de la Generalitat concession
The America's Cup is the most important sailing competition in the world
being able to participate in the organisation of this event
it’s an opportunity to be able to boost our sailing activity
is driven by the promotion of sailing and its values
being able to organise the America's Cup will allow us to push forward with our promotion of the sailing
not only in the city but in the entire territory.”
Teams will de-camp from their bases and summer training in Barcelona and head down the coast to Vilanova i La Geltrú early in September ahead of racing and will erect temporary bases to crane out and house their AC40 yachts
The America’s Cup is coming to Vilanova i La Geltrú and is set to be spectacular
We show you public transport departures that allow you to travel by Rodalies
metro or bus to several unknown wonders of Catalonia
and start preparing yourself for the fact that traveling around Catalonia will be literally free from September
and that’s why we recommend some getaways where the Rodalies trains arrive that
The getaways that we recommend are worth it
so you can go looking for a free weekend to travel for free by train in Catalonia
One of the best places in the Pyrenees to reach with a train ride
The administrative and economic capital of the Vall de Ribes manages to transport you to a fairy tale just by getting off the station
Surrounded by the green mountains of the Catalan Pyrenees
from above the village is a small brown snake that fits into a rugged environment
The destination is well known among the people of Barcelona because from the village leaves the Núria rack railway
which leads to the ski resort of Vall de Núria
one of the few combinations that allow you to go skiing from the capital by public transport
from Ribes there are many hiking trails that are worthwhile and
it is enough to take a walk along the rivers that cross this small entrance to the Pyrenees
The last village of Catalonia has the beauty and mystery of border towns
with a small beach wedged between small but steep cliffs
A train station that occupies the same area as the village dominates the activity of Portbou and reminds us that this is a space of exchange
Its architecture dates back to the early twentieth century
and unlike other places on the Costa Brava
this one retains the modernist look of the old bourgeois resorts
its streets also and the environment that explore the coastal paths
But no visit to Portbou is complete without visiting the Walter Benjamin Memorial
in front of the beautiful Portbou cemetery that houses his tomb
a slide to the sea masterfully camouflaged in the landscape
recalls the death of the philosopher in this village while fleeing Nazism
a death that Fraqnuism hid and whose memory serves to recall some of the dark passages of Spanish and European history of the twentieth century
View this post on Instagram Hostalric is a medieval village located about 65 kilometers from Barcelona
which is located in the region of La Selva.When we visited it
we made a route through the medieval village visiting all its points of interest such as the Torre dels Frares
its main street and the wall that surrounds the village
Afterwards we stopped to recharge our batteries at the Parrufu bar
to finish the visit by visiting the castle that is located in the fortress of Hostalric
and if until now the price of spending a day there could be a deterrent adding tickets
now you can save on transportation by arriving for free by train to the Salou-Port Aventura stop to get into the roller coasters
Classic attractions such as Dragon Khan or Stampida have been added years ago to others such as Furious Baco or Shambala
seeking to compete with some of the fastest roller coasters in the world
the same train stop takes us to Ferrari Land
the park for lovers of the cavallino rampante
These are some of the best free getaways that you can now do with the 100% bonus on Rodalies and Media Distancia trains
but check the map of Rodalies lines and make a custom trip
you will surely find many more places to travel for free from September
Montserrat is the great unknown jewel of Barcelona
An impressive natural heritage half an hour from the city that functions as a small Pyrenees at the gates of Barcelona
This rack railway will allow us to save the distance of 118 meters of unevenness between the esplanade and the area of the cave of the Santa Cova
where legend has it that some shepherds found the image of the Moreneta
At this altitude (one thousand meters above sea level) we can also enjoy incredible views of the surroundings and
altitude) and enjoy even more of the mountain
and that hides secrets like the cassettes of Garraf
luxuries like the town of Sitges or charming towns like Vilanova i la Geltrú
the beach town where everyone would like to live
which takes us along the coast on a route where the tracks run
In the middle of the Serralada de Marina Park
between Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramenet
stands the Monastery of San Jerónimo de la Murtra
a Gothic treasure founded in 1416 by the merchant Bertran Nicolau
which was an important religious and cultural center
is today a haven of peace next door in the heart of Santa Coloma de Gramenet
The Güell family acquired it in 1947 for its restoration and conservation
it is necessary to make a reservation in advance
and it can be easily reached from the Singuerlín metro station
the area offers attractions such as the Genís cave
and the Iberian settlement of Puig Castellar
inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 2nd century BC by the Layetans
Legend has it that at the time of the sundials the people of Sant Pol’s clock broke down and
Since then the people of Sant Pol have been asked “quina hora és” to make fun of it
Just to see that clock is worth visiting this beautiful town on the Catalan coast
with dream beaches and a beautiful old town
Take the opportunity to visit the church of Sant Pol
the castle of Montpalau or the Municipal Museum
have reached an agreement to build two fast charging stations in Autopista’s concessions in the Garraf North and Garraf South service areas
in the province of Barcelona.● The project includes 16 chargers of up to 400 kW of power
capable of charging up to 300 km in approximately 15 minutes.● Spain is the ninth country where Fastned is present
adding towards the company's goal of building 1,000 stations across Europe
Autopistas and Fastned have joined forces for the deployment of different fast charging stations in the province of Barcelona
continues its roadmap in Spain after signing an agreement with Autopistas
a subsidiary of the Abertis Group in Spain
for the construction and operation of fast charging stations in its concessions
The first stations will be located on the C-32
in the Garraf North and Garraf South service areas
in the municipalities of Vilanova i la Geltrú and Cubelles in the province of Barcelona
high-capacity roads managed by the company Autopistas.The project plans to set up 16 fast chargers between the two stations with a power of up to 400 kW
capable of charging up to 300 km in 15 minutes depending on the vehicle
These stations will feature the company's iconic yellow canopies equipped with solar panels and will allow drivers to enjoy one of the best charging experiences with 100% renewable energy.With more than 12 years of experience in the sector
Fastned is a company specialised in the development and operation of fast charging infrastructures in nine strategic markets on the European continent: The Netherlands
Fastned has more than 1,700 fast chargers in more than 300 stations spread across its European network.Spain is a strategic market for Fastned
both in terms of motorway kilometres and car density per capita
"our goal is to build stations that offer drivers reliable fast charging services
transforming the electric vehicle driving experience
We are therefore very pleased with the agreement we have signed with Abertis
which in addition to this project in El Garraf encompasses a wider collaboration with more future projects".She adds: "We are proud to continue to expand in the Spanish market with Autopistas
reinforcing the existing relationships we have in France with Sanef and in Italy with A-4 Holding
We are confident that our award-winning charging concept in Europe
which offers electric vehicle drivers an excellent charging experience
will encourage Spanish drivers to switch to electric driving
which is key to advancing the decarbonisation of transport"."We are very pleased to expand our portfolio of operators with the entry of Fastned
a company with more than 12 years of experience in the sector," explains Daniel Vilanova
"We at Autopistas believe that it is a great new ally for our project to deploy electric charging stations
as it is a globally recognised brand that offers a great charging experience to users
as well as guaranteeing a more efficient traffic flow and the best use of the chargers," he assures
most chargers are located in the centre of large cities
To support the transition to e-mobility and get more drivers to switch to electric vehicles
a strong network of fast charging infrastructure is needed on the outskirts of cities and along motorways
there is a lack of infrastructure that impedes the use of 100% electric vehicles
a key lever to decarbonise mobility and thus achieve the EU's 2030 targets of a 55% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990
Press ContactMarta Estarellas / Patricia González Roman [email protected]
Abertis' sustainability strategy is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement of 2016. The group has defined three strategic axes on which its sustainability plan is based: decarbonisation, road safety and corporate culture. Its goal is to reduce CO₂ tonnes by 25% for each of them and by 50% in the coming years.
In this context, Autopistas has been committed for years to the sustainable use and responsibility of resources and to caring for the natural environment that surrounds the lives it manages. It is also planning more and more actions to comply with environmental regulations, reduce pollution and the impacts caused by the activity and use of the infrastructure.
are part of the headliners of the 2024 Vida music festival
accompanying others such as English singer-songwriter and record producer James Blake or British singer-songwriter Matt Maltese
The event takes place at the Can Cabanyes rural house in the seaside town of Vilanova i la Geltrú
and will also see others like Paolo Nutini
and Catalan musicians Sílvia Pérez Cruz and Guillem Gisbert
M.I.A. will headline the closing event on Saturday, July 6, while Vance Joy will sing on Thursday, July 4, and James Blake on Friday
"I was lucky to work with some really talented filmmakers," he added
One of the most important events ahead of the music festival is the announcement of the schedules of each artist
Vida Festival organized a Twitch live session to announce when artists will perform
including Vance Joy from 10:45 pm to midnight
or even Julieta from 1:15 am to 2:15 am on Thursday night
Meanwhile, on the second night of the festival, Silvia Pérez Cruz will perform from 6:50 pm to 8 pm, Ride from 10:30 pm to 11:40 pm, James Blake from 12:40 am to 02:00 am, and Ferran Palau, for those looking for another Catalan artists, will sign from 8 pm to 9 pm.
The last night, led by M.I.A. will see Paolo Nutini performing from 9 pm to 10:10 pm, M.I.A. from 11:30 pm to 12:45 am, and Alizzz closing the night from 2 am to 3:15 am. Catalan artist Guillem Gisbert will sing from 10:10 pm to 11:10 pm.
First published: September 14, 2023 03:42 PM
Latest update: September 14, 2023 06:59 PM
The America’s Cup preliminary regatta kicked off on Thursday in Vilanova i la Geltrú, a seaside town just half an hour south of Barcelona.
Over the next few days, the sailors from defending champions New Zealand and challengers US, Britain, Italy, France, and Switzerland will test their wits and strengths against each other in a series of races.
Thursday sees official race practice with three races taking place that ultimately won’t count in the final scoreboard. Full racing starts on Friday, with three counting races scored on a highest points basis with the podium places for each race scoring ten, seven, and five points respectively.
Sailors will compete in AC40 boats for this week's preliminary regattas; “pocket rockets” as event CEO and the leader of Team New Zealand, Grant Dalton, described them.
Each team will compete in the same boat, meaning each team will be working with the same level of equipment, leaving only the strengths and abilities of the sailors to make the difference at the finish lines.
During the full America's Cup tournament taking place next year, larger vessels will be used by the teams, capable of even faster speeds.
After Thursday’s practice sessions, competitive racing will take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and the events will be visible from the beach and shore in Vilanova. Anybody interested in enjoying the experience will be able to do so for free, as the America’s Cup is not a ticketed event.
The 37th America's Cup proper will be held in Barcelona from August-October 2024.
Visitors and volunteers from near and far were buzzing with excitement at the beginning of the America's Cup event in Vilanova.
Denise, a visitor who came from the UK for the event, was particularly delighted to see how fast the boats move up close. "You do not get that appreciation when you watch it on the TV screen, so actually seeing it live, is much more exciting to see how fast they go," as he said.
Her husband, Nick, also from the UK, explained that they came specifically for this event, and are looking forward to enjoying the seafood and wine that the Catalan coastal town can offer.
"We have a mate who is sailing-obsessed," Nick explains. "He is a New Zealander, he is particularly keen on the Kiwi team, and he has dragged us all down here for a four-day extravaganza."
Anna, a former sailor from Vilanova, wanted to volunteer for the event to be able to enjoy it as close as possible. "I think the conditions are very nice, I think it is quite particular that you have the beach here, that you can see the race from there."
Chris from New Zealand, but resident of Garraf for decades, also has sailing experience and is a big fan of the Anerica's Cup. "I love the America's Cup, and I saw the opportunity to be a volunteer and I thought: 'Yes!'"
Guiomar, an America's Cup volunteer from Barcelona, used to sail when she was a child, "and it was nice to see these very speedy boats from up close.
All three will be on the boats out in the water as part of their volunteer work, putting out the marker buoys and marshaling all the spectator fleets "to make sure they do not get mixed up with the racing boats," Chris told Catalan News.
Carnival kicks off this week in Catalonia, with parades, debauchery, and merriment galore, but authorities have also had to take action to alter the usual festivities, on account of the severe drought that Catalonia has been faced with.
The main food fights of the festival, the 'La Merengada' meringue battle and the 'Comparses' war of throwing candies, will both be held in a smaller area of the town in order to reduce the water that will later be needed to clean the streets.
This agreement was reached by the Federation of Carnival Associations (FAC) and the Vilanova i la Geltrú council to adjust the festival to the new drought emergency situation.
In the case of the 'Comparses' and the endless flock of candies they always leave around the city, the organization urges participants to move only through the most central streets.
When cleaning the candies, the council will prioritize dry removal and will use non-drinkable water from municipal reservoirs transported by cisterns, which will avoid taking water from the network as has been done in other years.
On Maundy Thursday, this 8th of February, Vilanova i la Geltrú will officially kick off the carnival season with the traditional 'La Merengada' food fight.
The party will start, as always, in front of the Blanch patisserie, but it will not be then moved to the market square as usual, but instead held at a crossroads near the bakery.
these two outstanding syndicates of the 37th America’s Cup would have been hard to split
speeds dropped to around 5-7 knots and the flow just wouldn’t stick
The only option for the Race Committee was to abandon the Match Race Grand Final and thereby award the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup to New York Yacht Club American Magic
To read the full race report, please visit the America’s Cup website
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The derailment of a train in Vilanova i la Geltrú
caused delays in the Rodalies R2 South commuter rail line on Friday morning.
The incident occurred when the train was heading to Renfe's maintenance workshop in Vilanova i la Geltrú
and according to Spain's train manager Renfe
the train did not have any passengers when it derailed.
The derailment coincides with America's Cup's first preliminary regatta in the coastal city
which got underway on Thursday and will last until Sunday.
The president of the Garraf county government. Mònica Gallardo, said that the territory lives in a "terrible situation" because of the "bad quality and the large number of accidents."
ACN | Sitges
This week, the sleepy, seaside town of Sitges has been turned on its head: it’s time for Carnival. Starting on Fat Thursday, the celebration proves to be one of the most colorful, eccentric, and joyous celebrations, most famously held in the town south of the capital.
This year, it all began on February 28 with the arrival of the character who ‘takes over’ city hall: King Carnestoltes, ruler of carnival, this year embodied with gold and yellow baroque clothes and face paint.
Seven colors, representing values like love, peace, nature, freedom, and respect for sexual and gender identity featured in the vibrant opening act, attended by over 2,000 people. Another topical theme in the show was a rejection of sexual assault.
And this is just the beginning: Thursday’s ‘Arribo’ parade sets in motion a full week of activities and partying, which will also the participation of the Queen of Carnival, dressed in homage to the Cuban heritage of the town.
In the coming days, Sitges hopes to welcome 260,000 visitors, alongside the thousands of participants. This is to be facilitated by heightened security measures, which for the first time include drones.
Even before the glitzy revelry at night in Sitges, just down the coast, the town of Vilanova I la Geltrú was getting ready as well – with a food fight, no less.
During the day, hundreds of children gather to throw merengue at each other during ‘la merengada,’ aided by pastry chef Jaume Blanch, who throws piping bags full of the dessert from the balcony of his shop.
And then, the big reveal: the ‘main’ meringue, a man-sized sweet that’s on display in the establishment window leading up to Fat Thursday, is lowered into the crowd. This year, it took the shape of a rainbow unicorn.
between 2027 and 2028 with 50 stations and 17 interchanges
How to go from Barcelona to Vilanova i la Geltrú or Sant Pol de Mar… by metro
The longest suburban line in the city is about to become a reality
and it will be 50 kilometers long and will run through the city’s underground
which has begun its countdown to finish works that will make it in 2027
with about 50 kilometers that double the 19.6 kilometers of the L5 (blue line)
The 9/L10 will transform metropolitan mobility
since it will connect five municipalities – among the most populated in Catalonia: Barcelona
Hospitalet de Llobregat and El Prat de Llobregat
the new line will cover a historical need of the city
connecting it by metro through its upper area
passing through neighborhoods such as Sarrià
Gràcia or Guinardó without having to go down to the center and make other transfers
is expected to record more than 100 million trips per year
The construction of the L9/L10 line is based on a pioneering design solution: the construction of superimposed tracks on which the trains run and platforms integrated into the tunnel itself
This line will also have automatic driving
Currently,the L9/L10 metro system has 37.5 kilometers of line and 35 stations in service on the southern and northern sections of the line
The line is expected to be fully operational by 2027 or early 2028
The City Council explains that the combination of the design with overlapping tracks and the construction of stations by means of vertical circular shafts
which allows them to be built independently of the tunnel
makes it possible to reduce the impact on the surface during the works compared to conventional solutions
The works will cause various traffic disruptions in the capital this year
One of them is the two-way traffic cut on Mandri street
between Paseo de la Bonanova and Bigai street
but will also alter the route of bus lines 70
People across Catalonia gathered on Thursday to celebrate the start of this year’s carnival
known as the ‘Arribo’, with the arrival of carnival kings and queens
kicked off in the seaside town of Vilanova i la Geltrú
Kids and grown-ups alike dressed in disposable rain ponchos of all colors gathered outside the Blanch bakery for the sticky cake showdown
This year as a drought measure, the cake fight was smaller than usual in order to reduce the amount of water needed to clean the streets.
Just north of Vilanova along the coast in Sitges, the Rei Carnestoltes or Carnival king, Big Mag Cigalupi, arrived at night with his entourage and met with his queen, Mimí Château, before appearing together on the balcony of the town hall, to kick off a week of extravagant festivities.
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, the beloved Carnival Queen Belluga arrived on la Rambla, where a parade of the traditional giants danced their way down to the Virreina palace.
There, spectators of all ages enjoyed a colorful show of music, acrobatics, and dance, that ended with fireworks and glitter.
The carnival will continue until Ash Wednesday, February 14.
The seaside towns of Vilanova i la Geltrú and Sitges
just around 30-minute drive south of Barcelona
bid farewell to Carnival on Ash Wednesday in multitudinary shows after seven days of debauchery
Both towns buried King Carnestoltes after he arrived on Thursday in Sitges, and on Friday in Vilanova i la Geltrú. The two municipalities had been partying and enjoying the festivities since Fat Thursday
with a Merengada meringue food fight in Vilanova
the ceremony started with thousands wearing black and mourning the death of King Carnestoltes in the early evening
Sitges has seen a lot of crying and a long gloomy ceremony as King Carnival read his last wills on the Fragata beach before being burned down
After Carnival, this iconic seaside town welcomes the Senyora Quaresma, or Madame Lent, which ends a magnificent week of glut and sins. She then goes and gives out 'bunyols de vent' a lent desert to everyone that wants one.
It’s rare for professional sailors to look at a boat and go: “how does that work?” But down in Barcelona there is such a craft – the Patín de Vela
or more commonly the Patín Catalán – a hugely popular 18-foot-long
beach-launched catamaran with a 5.24-foot beam that has no rudder
no boom and is controlled by minute adjustments on the dovetail mainsail and exquisite use of body weight to steer
When the sailors arrive in Vilanova i La Geltrú in September for the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup
the fast-foiling AC40s will have plenty of company on the water as 210 of these fabulous dinghies are confirmed for the ‘Pati Catala de Vela’ regatta – an historic record number
for what promises to be a remarkable spectacle
The 210 registered sailors at the regatta that runs on the 16th and 17th September 2023 will be representing a total of 27 clubs with sailors from Andalucia
A strong female representation will be at the regatta with 17 women confirmed – again a record number for the Pati Catala de Vela
former president of the International Association of Sailing Skate Owners (ADIPAV) and President of the Union of Sports Federations of Catalonia (UFEC)
this is a momentous moment for the class as they launch to a worldwide audience
saying: “The opportunity offered by the direction of the 37th America’s Cup will mark a before-and-after in the history of the Patín de Vela with promotion of the class on a world scale
All the sailors are very excited about this exhibition of the Patín de Vela and that is why
there has been this historic record of registration
We hope to put on a very good show to the world.”
the Pati Vela Club de Barcelona organises racing
with these pure craft launched off the Barceloneta and Badalona beachfronts
with the weekend racing both popular and highly contested
The origins of the Patín de Vela can be traced back to the 1870s and the beach off Badalona where fishermen would stand on two hulls and paddle out to check nets but by the early part of the 20th century
the paddles that were similar to modern-day canoeists paddles
were replaced by oars and the craft were adapted for recreation and at times
the Mongé brothers from Catalonia first started experimenting with wooden masts and sails
placing the foot of the mast far forward and introducing the dovetail mainsail
The addition of a steel rack across the stern
allowed the batten-less mainsail to be sheeted wide but could
As the technique developed so did the control lines and on today’s craft
the Patín de Vela ‘skates’ feature an array of control systems that can alter the forestay tension on each tack (the boats have two forestays
one mounted on each hull) to control the bend of the mast and aid direction
About 40 ‘skates’ are built every year and although the original boats were built entirely of wood (hull and mast)
The biggest factor for controlling these boats is body weight
Moving forward to luff-up and aft to bear-away with the single sailor moving across the five beams that support the hulls
The sailing style has naturally adapted with the ages as in early videos
sailors can be seen standing upright and precariously stepping forwards and back
the sailors of these fascinating craft are more often found lying across the five hull planks and making small body movements and ‘crawls’ to shift distribution
In lighter airs there is still a beautiful balancing technique of standing up whilst flying the windward hull that proves to be very fast upwind with minute adjustments on the mainsail to keep the boat at optimum pace
All the control systems lead back to the ‘piano’ an area at the midpoint of the craft between the hulls on the crossbeams that delivers the crucial free-flying cunningham and stay adjustments whilst the mainsheet feeds forward and is trimmed from just aft of the mast so the helm can keep looking forward
It’s a boat that rewards technique with many sailors spending a lifetime perfecting their balance and control and the racing is fast and desperately close all the way through the fleet
A curiosity born from innovation in Catalonia
the Patín de Vela class also has fleets in France
Holland and Belgium but their uniqueness in the world of sailing makes them remarkable boats to see on the water and inspires much debate as to how these highly skilled sailors
It’s a phenomenon not lost on Grant Dalton
CEO of America’s Cup Events: “To be honest I’m still trying to work out how they sail with no rudder and no centreboard – that’s a unique concept to my mind and I’m very much looking forward to meeting the sailors and watching their technique down in Vilanova i La Geltrú in September
I believe it’s a record fleet at 210 so this is going to be a very special regatta and provide a lot of talking points not just amongst the fleet and spectators but also within the America’s Cup teams
but I imagine it takes a lot of dedication and practice to get good
Fascinating boats and we look forward to welcoming them at the first Preliminary Regatta of the 37th America’s Cup.”
Entries are now closed for the Exhibition Race of ‘Pati Catala de Vela’ which runs from the 16th of September through to the 17th of September hosted by the Club Pati Vela Barcelona
Club de Mar Vilanova and Club Maritim Cubelles. (Magnus Wheatley)
It’s been over two and a half years since the shutters came down on the racing in Auckland for the 36th America’s Cup
but the show’s back on the road with the first of three Preliminary Regattas set to start on the 14th September
in Vilanova i La Geltrú on Spain’s Mediterranean coast
The Preliminary Regattas are warm-up events for the 37th America’s Cup
The first two Preliminary Regatta’s will see the six teams compete in the new one design four person
designed and supplied by Emirates Team New Zealand
will also be used in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup and Youth America’s Cup in 2024
“It will be great to get back to racing after the long wait from AC36,” commented INEOS Britannia Team Principal
“It’s important that the America’s Cup keeps growing and its therefore brilliant to have four returning teams and two new ones with Swiss and French challengers on the starting line
The Prelims are a great way to engage fans ahead of next year
a completely new concept and class of boat
We’ve got the opportunity to showcase what they can do on short courses with fleet racing and match racing
and I’m sure we’re going to see some brilliant competition.”
The British crew selection features Sir Ben Ainslie and Giles Scott sharing the double helm position for the first time on a racecourse
who bring six Olympic gold medals to the table
will be joined by Bleddyn Mon and Leigh McMillan in the trimmer’s seats both previous world champions and experienced America’s Cup campaigners
The racing will see America’s Cup foiling monohulls fleet race for the very first time
with all six competing teams on the course at the same time
Friday 15th and Saturday 16th will feature 3 fleet races
two remaining fleet races before the top two teams will face off in a winner-take-all match race finale
The preliminary regatta comes at a busy period for INEOS Britannia who have been operating out of their all-new built base in Barcelona this summer ticking off the final days of testing their development boat ‘T6’
ahead of the remaining design decisions for the AC75 Class race boat that will contest the America’s Cup in 2024
“We’re looking forward to seeing where we stand in relation to the other teams
but everyone is on different trajectories with their preparation
and for many people the real priority is still the development of the AC75 race boat that will race in next year’s Challenger Selection Series and AC Match
But this is still a not to be missed opportunity to see all the Cup teams on the water at the same time
Racing in Vilanova takes place from 14:30- 16:30 BST and is available free-to-view via the official America’s Cup website
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the month of one of the longest celebrations of the year
the Carnaval or Carnestoltes in a handful of Catalan cities and towns.
the carnival will kick off on Thursday
‘Fat Thursday’ marks the beginning of the Catalan celebration and is the day when people are encouraged to indulge in fatty foods such as botifarra d'ou (egg sausage) and truita (omelet) or coca de llardons (pork crackling cake).
As far as festivities are concerned, Thursday is a good day to get your Carnival groove on. In Vilanova i la Geltrú, a coastal town south of Barcelona, there will be what locals call 'La Merengada' - a massive meringue food fight
Children (and more than a few adults) will gather at 5:30 pm in front of Blanch bakery on Avda
43 to partake in the annual sticky dessert hurling ritual.
But due to the ongoing drought, this year’s food fight will be smaller than usual in order to save water when cleaning
Towns like Vilanova i la Geltrú celebrate the 'Arribo' on Friday, not Thursday, as do several Barcelona's districts, some of which will have their own smaller parades, as Les Corts's festivities, which start at 5:00 pm at Plaça de Comas.
On Saturday, several parades will take place all over Barcelona throughout the day.
In the Gràcia district, the Carnival will be celebrated with a Carnefoc, a spin on the Correfoc tradition, where people dress up as demons and run through the streets with fireworks flying off them. The Carnefoc will start at Mare de Déu del Coll Street at 7:30 pm and will be followed by a pyrotechnical show at the Mare de Déu del Coll church at 9:00 pm.
For those who didn't have enough with 'la merengada', there will also be a candy-throwing war known as 'la Comparsa' on Sunday in Vilanova i la Geltrú.
In the city of Sant Celoni, the traditional ‘Ball de Gitanos’ will take place on Sunday on the Plaça de la Vila square. The dance dates back to 1767, although it is pagan in origin and was traditionally performed in the Catalan Vallès region.
Monday is usually the day of rest after a weekend of Carnival madness, but this is not always the case! In Roses, a town on the Costa Brava, it's actually the last day of Carnival. Unlike the rest of Catalonia's sardine burials, Roses is on Monday. The town will also be hosting an 'arrossada popular' rice meal for the community.
In some places, such as Vidreres near Girona and Ponts near Lleida, Tuesday (‘Mardi Gras’ in much of the Carnival-celebrating world but Carnival Tuesday or 'Dimarts de Carnaval' here) is the day locals eat 'ranxo' soup, a special meat and vegetable stew made from the ingredients residents bring to the town square.
Don't miss Sitges' Extermination parade on Tuesday night, one of Catalonia's most popular Carnival processions. Beginning at 9 pm, expect to party all night.
Carnival comes to a close with the symbolic burial of the sardine ('enterrament de la sardina') on Ash Wednesday, or 'Dimecres de Cendra', as revelers put an end to the period of excess before Lent.
as the carnival celebrations in Catalonia are also known.
Fat Thursday (Dijous Gras in Catalan) is when things really shift up a gear.
Festivities across Catalonia vary from place to place but the first day of carnival
usually means two things: food (sometimes eaten
and the arrival of the king or queen of the carnival and their entourage to take over cities
fatty foods are the order of the day on Fat Thursday
with people actively encouraged to indulge in the likes of botifarra d'ou (egg sausage), truita (omelette)
and coca de llardons (pork crackling cake).
Food doesn't always end up in people's mouths though
with food fights common throughout carnival
including Vilanova i la Geltrú's La Merengada on Fat Thursday.
a massive meringue food war takes place
with Blanch bakery providing the ammunition to kids (big and small) for the annual sticky dessert hurling ritual.
The other must-see event on the first day of carnival is the arribo parade
the arrival of the king or queen of Carnestoltes
One of the most famous and most raucous happens in Sitges
just north of Vilanova i la Geltrú on the Garraf coast.
dressing up and general fooling around until the ever-so-serious burial of the sardine on Ash Wednesday heralds the end of the carnival craic.
For more, see the Catalan News 2023 guide to Carnival in Catalonia.
are famous for their pre-Lent celebrations
if you’re looking for a less-famous form of revelry—and have a sweet tooth to boot—then head to Vilanova i la Geltrú
The seaside city hosts a weeklong celebration leading up to Ash Wednesday
and theatrics in honor of Sa Majastat el Rei Carnestoltes—his Majesty
One of the first events kicking off six days of partying before the start of the Catholic season is La Merengada
an entire event devoted to flinging meringue at other people
who are given the day off from school to participate in the sugary battle
Most poncho-clad participants arm themselves with pastry bags filled with the sticky sweet
fun-filled day culminates with an evening meal of xató
a traditional Catalonian dish resembling a tuna salad that's topped with a nutty garlic sauce
a traditional Catalonian dish resembling a tuna salad that’s topped with a nutty garlic sauce
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The journey to the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Barcelona begins with the Preliminary Regattas that will serve as warm-up races ahead of the Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selection Series)
The first preliminary regatta was held in Vilanova i La Geltrú from 14th to 17th September 2023
for the America's Cup Preliminary Regatta Jeddah
presented by NEOM between 29th November to 2nd December 2023
The third and last preliminary regatta was held in August 2024 in Barcelona
The first two regattas were raced in the strict one-design AC40s – the world’s newest and most exciting foiling class with top speeds touching 50 knots and perhaps beyond
we saw the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona where all the America’s Cup teams raced in their new AC75s for the very first time.
Vilanova i La Geltrú welcomed the America’s Cup world with the announcement of the first preliminary regatta to be held in the beautiful seaside city some 45 kilometres to the west of Barcelona
Vilanova i La Geltrú was fondly known as ‘Havana Xica’ or ‘Little Havana’
and today it is one of the country's leading capitals of popular and traditional culture
declared a Heritage Festival of National Interest
are just some of the events that have made the capital of El Garraf a must-see destination on the Spanish coastline
where colonial-style buildings live in harmony with fishermen's houses
its wide range of fish and seafood culinary offerings and the famous xató dish mark Vilanova i La Geltrú as one of the jewels of not only the region of Catalonia but all of Spain
set on the Red Sea and with a bustling port and busy city centre is regarded as one of the most lavish ports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
has a rich heritage fusing the old and the new with its UNESCO-listed historic centre Al Balad
combining soaring modern architecture and five star luxury around the Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina
The picturesque Jeddah Waterfront offers the perfect vista onto the Red Sea where visitors can relax
enjoy the breath-taking views and discover the famous Al Rahma mosque
otherwise known as the ‘Floating Mosque’
Often referred to as the ‘Mermaid of the Red Sea,’ the city’s motto is: ‘Jeddah is Different’ reflecting the truly diverse and cosmopolitan nature of the city
which features spectacular international events like the Red Sea International Film Festival and sporting events encompassing Formula 1™
The Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta was held in Barcelona on 22–25 August 2024
The America’s Cup teams will race on their new AC75s for the first time
lined up against the Challenger syndicates offering the first indication of who to watch for in the Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selection Series)
the top two teams progressed to the winner-takes-all final match race on the fourth and last day to decide the ultimate winner of the event.
All of the teams entered in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona 2024 are fielding teams with representation from the Defenders
the Challenger of Record INEOS Britannia and the Challengers: Alinghi Red Bull Racing
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Orient Express Racing Team
If the first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú is anything to go by
then NYYC American Magic and Emirates Team New Zealand
will be the teams that everyone will be benchmarking themselves against.
The America's Cup Preliminary Regatta Jeddah
saw the top sailors from the America’s Cup teams compete against each other in equally matched AC40 monohull foilers again. The impressive sailing conditions on the Red Sea provided a world-class sailing event with Emirates Team New Zealand leading the scoreboard and taking away the win at the final match race against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
it was once again Emirates Team New Zealand who topped the leaderboard
giving an early indication of what was about to unfold in the journey to the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Barcelona.
For the first two Preliminary Regattas in 2023
racing was conducted in the team’s AC40 in a strict one-design set-up
foils and mechanisms will all be standardised
Each team will consist of four sailors with two helms steering from the forward ‘pod’ and two crew members responsible for sail and foil trim sitting in the aft pods
The racing itself will start with fleet racing flights to determine the top two teams who will then proceed on to a final match race (one-on-one) to decide the spoils of victory
The third and last preliminary regatta in August 2024 was raced on the new AC75s: A step on from what we saw during the 36th America's Cup in Auckland in 2021
the electronics and software systems are vastly upgraded
The number of crew has been reduced to 8 sailors
introduced by Emirates Team New Zealand in 2017
All racing will be broadcast free-to-air through a dedicated America’s Cup television production
The regattas will offer the world a first glimpse of what can be expected when the UniCredit Youth & Puig Women’s America’s Cup begin in earnest in September and October 2024 in Barcelona as well as the start to the Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selection Series)
The Preliminary Regattas will be the first time the AC40 fleet will race each other over fleet and match racing courses
and the AC75s will have their first official racing in the Preliminary Regatta Barcelona.
RE-WATCH ALL RACING HERE
British superyacht builder Pendennis announced a major investment into the 48-berth marina and associated land in Vilanova I la Geltrú
Pendennis has clarified the status of the new venture and expressed how the newly formed Pendennis Vilanova technical service centre will operate alongside Vilanova Grand Marina (VGM)
On a quest to enhance its offering to the superyacht fleet in the Mediterranean
Pendennis has been working alongside the team at VGM to achieve a marina with supporting service centre and the capacity for short-term stop-overs and longer winter berths
the marina had been lacking a technical centre to service superyachts
“The two brands have a shared vision of delivering a world-class service to the Mediterranean fleet,” says Mike Carr
“Underpinning this vision is the Pendennis ethos of combining experience
knowledge and skills with great teamwork.”
With the capacity to accommodate yachts from 25 to 130m
the 48-berth marina will continue to trade as VGM
which will become the Cornish company’s main base in the Mediterranean
“Through Pendennis’ investment into Vilanova we have been able to increase our maintenance and repair programme for the marina and associated buildings during this winter and spring.”
“Through Pendennis’ investment into Vilanova we have been able to increase our maintenance and repair programme for the marina and associated buildings during this winter and spring,” says Ruben Hernandez
“The marina itself has continued to be busy
benefiting from both an influx of Pendennis’ fleet arriving for pre-Med season support and independent yachts conducting routine maintenance
I am very positive about the future and what we can build here for the superyacht community in Vilanova offering not only a destination
Work is currently underway on the first phase of the development of the technical service centre
which includes 12,000sqm of hard standing and a 640-tonne travel hoist with supporting piers
“We have had a strong start to our new venture in Vilanova,” adds Tyrone Harvey
“This first season has been about conducting projects afloat for our existing client base
showcasing our new location and overseeing the development of our new technical service centre adjacent to the Marina."
showcasing our new location and overseeing the development of our new technical service centre adjacent to the Marina," continues Harvey
"Pendennis Vilanova projects will benefit from continuity of care through a combination of tradespeople from our home base in Falmouth and local sub-contractors from the region.”
The new Pendennis Vilanova facility is currently on schedule to be operational by early Autumn 2019
Pendennis
Vilanova Grand Marina Barcelona
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The Rodalies commuter train service in the Barcelona area was severely disrupted on Sunday morning due to the theft of copper cable in Montcada i Reixac
the Spanish government-owned public company in charge of the service
recommends passengers to use an alternative means of transport – while works are underway to fix the issue
there is no forecast on when it will be resolved
No commuter train lines were able to reach Barcelona on Sunday morning
while regional trains are also affected and high-speed trains work as usual
the one connecting the capital with the Maresme county coastal towns in the north
where users can take the metro to arrive in Barcelona
the airport and Vilanova I la Geltrú among others
R4 line is not completing its full route between Vilafranca del Penedès and Manresa through Barcelona – on the one hand
it starts at L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to the east in the Penedès counties
and on the other hand it operates between Cerdanyola del Vallès and Manresa
R3 is not connecting Barcelona with Vic and Puigcerdà
because it starts and finishes at Montcada Ripollet and travels north from there
R7 and R8 have alternative service by road transport
Thus trains cannot run through Barcelona tunnels and between Maçanet
No trains can run between Montcada Bifurcació and Montcada either
the public company in charge of the network and infrastructure
said on Sunday morning that "the damage caused is severe and widespread."
The excess voltage at the Rodalies network due to the theft of copper cable generated minor fires in the Barcelona train tunnels
and the firefighters were working around midday in Sagrera station
according to the civil protection authorities
The major incident coincides with the Catalan election day, and the Catalan vice president, Laura Vilagrà, said that the disruptions affect the right to vote and the turnout.
The situation is "unacceptable," she said, calling on the Spanish transports minister, Óscar Puente, to take prompt action.
Upon voting, the Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, also said that the damage to the commuter train network could affect the right to vote, and added that the issues come after years of "lack of public spending" in the service by the Spanish government.
It wasn't a popular decision to leave New Zealand
"but to stay would have been to die."
who is also the leader of Team New Zealand
the defending champions in the world's oldest continually running international sports competition
explains that for the 37th edition of the event
New Zealand was on the "wrong side of the world," so they searched for a northern hemisphere host city instead
and Saudi Arabia's Jeddah were the top three
but as soon as Dalton came to Catalonia to see the details of the bid
"it was pretty obvious it was going to be hard to beat."
Now, Dalton is ecstatic with the decision to bring the America's Cup to Barcelona
The defending champions have the power to write some of the rules of the next edition of the competition and can choose where it's held as well.
Listen to the full interview on our Filling the Sink podcast episode published on September 16
Barcelona is a "great place to sail," Dalton says
"The port is a key element in terms of creating the atmosphere
The Catalan government and the Barcelona council were united in their wish to have it
Barcelona port said that January 2024 was the earliest point they could have the land ready for teams to build their bases
But the port then "moved heaven and earth to get the sites ready as quickly as they can," and teams were able to move in and start building bases an entire year sooner than originally proposed.
Dalton says the glamour factor of "that single word: Barcelona," was another key factor in bringing the event here
"It's the best call I've made in my life because it's been phenomenal."
The event coming here has also provided "impetus for speed of development."
Barcelona's Port Vell is going through a transformation with this event that will leave its fingerprints on the city
but this speeds it up because it had to happen straight away."
€120 million will be invested in the port of Barcelona to prepare it to host the competition next year
with twenty different improvement projects on the facilities
Around 50% of this investment is provided by private companies
After receiving such a warm welcome in Catalonia, Dalton decided he wanted to put on a show for his hosts way ahead of the America's Cup proper, which kicks off in earnest in August 2024. That's where the idea of this week's preliminary regatta in Vilanova was born, an event that's expected to attract 40,000 spectators this weekend.
The America's Cup was first contested in 1851 – it predates the American Civil War by a decade. Back then, the boats used for the race were at the peak of the technology available at the time, and this remains true 172 years later.
"It's a technology race," Dalton explains, "the fastest, highest technology will win this event." Obvious comparisons can be drawn with Formula One, and Dalton points out that there are even two Formula One teams competing also in the America's Cup: INEOS, with the UK team, and Red Bull, with Switzerland.
Sometimes, Dalton says the teams go into a new campaign already planning on using technology that hasn't yet been invented: "They're technically amazing boats."
For a team of 150 people, as is the case with Team New Zealand, only 12 are sailors. The rest of the team comprise of tech engineers, design and computer graphics, computer modeling, CFD, flow, AI, around 45 builders that construct the racing boat, shore crew in the yard that look after the boats.
There are plenty of office staff in the team too, "there are a lot of lawyers involved in this game, because you've got billionaires and they only know one way, it's kill or be killed," Dalton chuckles.
However, it's not all been plain sailing.
Some neighborhood associations in Barcelona have complained that events such as the America's Cup, which will inevitably result in thousands of people coming to the city for a long period of time, something locals say will have an effect on the housing market and increase prices all round.
"Each team is like its own village," Dalton says, with around 350 people per team when employees and families are factored in.
The opening day of the preliminary regatta in Vilanova also saw around 100 people take part in a protest against the event, denouncing "the polluting and inflationary effect" that they say the competition causes.
The protest also criticized the "clearly elitist" character of the America's Cup. "It's a sport for multi-millionaires," said one of the spokespersons, Magda Domingo, who insisted that the event is "not aimed at the majority of citizens."
The platform also says the event will have a "very negative impact" on the climate, with a lot of CO2 emissions due to the teams' travel.
Dalton says that these issues are on the agenda of the America's Cup and that the organizers want to leave a lasting legacy that will do good for the host city.
"We're not a raiding party, we want to leave something behind," Dalton explains. "We've set up a legacy fund to help the sport in Catalonia and in Barcelona."
"All I can really say is, I know what the cup does in terms of the positiveness it has, I've never really seen the negative."
By SuperyachtNews in collaboration with 37th America's Cup Barcelona17 Mar 2023
Situated 45 kilometres south-west along the coast from America’s Cup Host Venue Barcelona
Vilanova i la Geltrú will represent the region of Catalonia and Spain as the starting point of the 37th America’s Cup cycle
The racing will see a mix of both fleet and match-racing with the six confirmed entries for the America’s Cup all represented and will be conducted in the area outside the port entrance affording both a perfect viewing gallery and wide fan engagement opportunities
As the first regatta on the journey to AC37 in Barcelona
the eyes of the world will be on the town of Vilanova i la Geltrú with all racing broadcast free-to-air through a dedicated America’s Cup television production
The regatta will offer the world a first glimpse of what can be expected when the Youth & Women’s America’s Cup races begin in earnest in September and October 2024 in Barcelona and will be the first time the AC40 fleet will race each other over both fleet and match-racing courses.
Catalonian port of Vilanova i la Geltrú
Pendennis Vilanova has been selected to serve as the technical area which will host the team bases and their AC40’s
with a statement from the shipyard reading: "We are very excited to be hosting the first event of the 37th America’s Cup at our facility in Vilanova
2023 is a big celebratory year for us – it marks Pendennis’ 35th anniversary and also the 5th anniversary of our investment in Vilanova with our local partner Copisa
As such it is very fitting that we have been selected to assist with The America’s Cup Preliminary regatta and look forward to welcoming the sailors
support teams and spectators in September."
“The Port of Vilanova i la Geltrú
is perfectly set up to host the first Preliminary Event of AC37 with everything in such close proximity to the race course,” said America’s Cup Event CEO Grant Dalton
“Racing will be just metres from the port entrance and prime viewing places will be offered from the La Daurada alongside huge public areas for a great fan village
The magnificent facilities of Pendennis Vilanova and Vilanova Grand Marina will serve as the technical area which will host the team bases and their AC40’s and
we will be proud to align with the Club Nàutic Vilanova as the local yacht club for the event.”
Emirates Team New Zealand AC40’s in action in Auckland
In contrast to the America’s Cup itself
raced in purpose-built AC75’s and a design race of innovation and technology
the Vilanova i la Geltrú preliminary regatta will be sailed in the fleet of AC40’s in strict One Design class measurement as will be used for the Youth and Women’s America’s Cups
It will give the world a first opportunity to see the America’s Cup elite teams in action and provide an opening narrative and indication of where each team is at in this America’s Cup cycle
Société nautique de Saint-Tropez and team K-Challenge Racing accepted as a challenger for the 37th America’s cup Barcelona 2024
Emirates Team New Zealand records 222.4km/h with 22 knots of windspeed on Lake Gairdner in South Australia
American Magic partners with Sanlorenzo and Bluegame to design and build its zero emissions chase boat for Barcelona 2024
a period of fierce merriment and joy here in Catalonia
This year 'Carnaval' or 'Carnestoltes' celebrations will take place from February 16 to 22
beginning even earlier in a handful of cities and towns.
Check out the Catalan News guide below to make the most of these exhilarating festivities:
marks the beginning of Carnival and people are actively encouraged to indulge in fatty foods such as botifarra d'ou (egg sausage) and truita (omelette) or coca de llardons (pork crackling cake).
Thursday is a good day to get your Carnival groove on
there will be what locals call 'La Merengada' - that is to say
43 to partake in the annual sticky dessert hurling ritual.
Sitges' show starts at 7 pm below the steps to the seaside church
while the Catalan capital's kicks off at 6:30 pm on La Rambla boulevard.
Towns like Vilanova i la Geltrú celebrate the 'Arribo' on Friday, not Thursday, as do a number of Barcelona's districts, some of which will have their own smaller parades
Les Corts's festivities will start at 4:30 pm at Plaça de Comas
while Sarrià - Sant Gervasi's will begin at 6:30 pm at plaça de Pere Figuera i Serra
Friday in particular is a big deal for schoolchildren in Catalonia as it is a day they'll be sure to dress up for parades in their hometowns
after a week of very specific attire at school: pajama day
It's also one of the nights you're most likely to see adults out in costume at a club or bar.
Carnival in the northern town of Solsona is done differently
Not only does it begin Friday and not Thursday
but it's known for its 'mata-ruc' donkey-killing ceremony
is not as appalling as it sounds: it's only a fake donkey that's hung from the church bell tower
Head to the very aptly named Plaça del ruc square at 7:30 pm to witness this bizarre sight
Sunday is a big day for parades plural as there is more often than not more than one in the same city or town on this day
the children's parade will begin around midday
with a racier one for adults in the evening
For those who didn't have enough with 'la merengada'
there will also be a candy-throwing war known as 'la Comparsa' on Sunday in Vilanova i la Geltrú.
Monday is usually the day of rest after a weekend of Carnival madness, but this is not always the case! In Roses, a town on the Costa Brava, it's actually the last day of Carnival. Unlike the rest of Catalonia's sardine burials, Roses is on Monday. The town will also be hosting an 'arrossada popular' rice meal for the community.
In some places, such as Vidreres near Girona and Ponts near Lleida, Tuesday (Mardi Gras much of the Carnival-celebrating world but Carnival Tuesday or 'Dimarts de Carnaval' here) is the day locals eat 'ranxo' soup, a special meat and vegetable stew made from the ingredients residents bring to the town square.
Don't miss Sitges' Extermination parade on Tuesday night, one of Catalonia's most popular Carnival processions. Beginning at 11 pm, the afterparty at Teatre Prado will be sure to go on until the wee hours of the morning.
Carnival comes to a close with the symbolic burial of the sardine ('enterrament de la sardina') on Ash Wednesday, or 'Dimecres de Cendra', as revelers put an end to the period of excess before Lent.
Seven-day celebration sees street parties and parades in cities, towns and villages across Catalonia
Lorcan Doherty | Barcelona
Rio de Janeiro has its samba parties and New Orleans its Mardi Gras
but did you know that Catalonia is crazy for Carnival too
sardine burials and donkey hangings (not real donkeys
I should add) are some of the more surprising ways that Catalans let their hair down in the hedonistic days before the traditional abstinence of Lent
Dijous Gras or Fat Thursday is when the festivities really start to ramp up
So with plenty of parades and parties to look forward to from February 20 - 26
here’s the Catalan News guide to Carnival 2020
The seaside town of Vilanova i la Geltrú is undoubtedly one of the go-to destinations for Carnival
'La Merengada' on Dijous Gras is a sight to behold
with hundreds of children throwing sticky meringue mix at each other before a gigantic meringue is lowered into the crowd from the balcony of Blanch’s cake shop in the town
appropriate footwear and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty
organizers advise bringing "a desire to take part," and adults have no excuse not to
with their own meringue war at midnight in the 'Merengada Nocturna.'
while Sunday sees the climax of the Vilanova Carnival with a sea of sound and color as bands parade through the town before it descends into the inevitable..
Sitges is another spot that takes its Carnival fun seriously
The festivities kick off on Dijous Gras with the arrival of the King of Carnival and his entourage
like the Debauchery Parade on Sunday and the Extermination Parade on Tuesday
which draw tens of thousands of revelers to party on the beachfront and medieval streets
Of course, Barcelona also gets in on the Carnival hi-jinks with parades
and singing throughout the Catalan capital
The King of Fools is joined by a motley crew of seven ambassadors with a penchant for the seven deadly sins
which explains their delightful sobriquets
Lord of Me-me-me and Count of Big Belly the Viscount of More-food are two of my favorites
where you can take part in a confetti battle and witness the burning of King Carnestoltes’ arm
where a cardboard donkey is hung from the town bell tower while the townspeople
Big carnival parades and feasts also take place in Platja d’Aro
and countless villages throughout the country
Be careful of having a lazing Sunday lie-in in Lleida in western Catalonia
You might just find yourself unwittingly part of their bed race
The only way to round off a Catalan Carnival is with the 'Burial of the Sardine' ritual on Ash Wednesday
somber ceremony takes place all across Catalonia and is supposedly inspired by a surreal Goya painting
It coincides with the beginning of the traditional Lenten period of abstinence
which after seven days of good times and gluttony
the world's oldest sport competition still running
Ahead of the first regatta held in Vilanova i la Geltrú
Catalan News interviewed two challenger teams to learn more about how they are preparing for the competition
Both the challengers and the defenders have been setting base in Barcelona for some months
getting settled and training in Catalan waters
has been the last team to confirm their participation in the competition: "We are probably the last team who has entered the event
we had built the base and started sailing," Stephan Kandler
Orient Express Racing Team founder and CEO
"We also have a small budget compared to the others
But I think France has a strong experience in sailing and we can catch up with the other teams
and I think we can call ourselves an 'outsider' in the America's Cup," he added.
A smaller version of the yacht that the teams will be competing in in 2024.
the boat for the final match of the America's Cup competition
"There is a big designing team for the boat
We have about two years to design the new boat
which finally gets built in the country of your team
which in our case is Italy," Francesco Bruni
Listen to the full interview on our Filling the Sink podcast episode published on September 16
The first edition of the America's Cup took place in 1851
and since then the boats and engineering used to build and manage them have evolved.
the yachts are packed with technology to manage the sails and to get information about the wind for example
a sailor from the Italian team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
said that "it has been a big step [in building the boats] since 2007
it is all driven by electronics and hydraulics
a normal sailing boat with ropes and sheaths
Barcelona's port has been transforming to welcome the 2024 America's Cup for the six sailing teams competing to set their base
But there are some conditions that can not be changed
"Barcelona is a very particular place for sailing because the sea state is quite challenging; there are a lot of waves most of the time but not a lot of wind
But we had some very good conditions lately
so we can hope for the best for the America's Cup."
After the competition in Vilanova, there are still two more preliminary regattas that will take place before the Challenger Series and the America's Cup Match. But this competition demands high levels of implication from all the team members at every stage.
Quentin Delapierre, a helmsman from the French team Orient Express, said the outlook on the whole competition: "We did this project with a lot of ambition at the beginning, but we know that we have to take it step by step and not have so much projection in time. We have to follow the process and just keep the plan simple. If we are smart in every stage of the project, I think we will be able to do a lot of things in 2024.
Vida 2022 has added new acts to play at next summer’s festival in Vilanova i la Geltrú this Thursday.
New to the line-up are headliners The Avalanches
Also new to the 2022 line-up are Soccer Mommy
These names will be added to a star-studded list of artists already confirmed to play next summer including Alt-J
The festival will take place from June 30 to July 2 and will once again feature forty concerts by groups from all over the world
Artists from the Catalan-speaking areas make up almost half of the line-up
Wild Heart and Alanaire join the line-up that already featured Anna Andreu
The festival has released the schedule dividing up the different days and has announced that day tickets will go on sale on Thursday
The last full festival tickets can already be purchased online.
Still to come from Vida 2022 is the announcement of the program of Vida Club and the last artists who will finish off the line-up. There are still fifteen names and fifty DJs from Vida Club awaiting confirmation.
Rachel Bathgate | Barcelona
bringing with it 40 days of abstinence and austerity
this typically also means one ‘last’ big celebration before over a month of sacrifice
the party already began on Thursday with the arrival of a fantastical carnival king
The party kicks off in the seaside town of Vilanova i la Geltrú
Forget the Spanish ‘tomatina’ fight – this is much tastier
has organized what’s known in Catalan as ‘La festa de la merengada’ – or
In this sticky sweet food fight on the street
hundreds of children gather to throw the confection at each other
who throws piping bags full of the dessert from the balcony of his shop
a man-sized sweet that’s on display in the establishment window leading up to Fat Thursday
its large size was indeed part of the theme
Blanch commented on the political situation in the country by decorating the meringue as if Carles Puigdemont
deposed Catalan president currently in Brussels
and the top of his distinctive head of hair visible
Sitges ‘taken over’ by the King of Carnival
the festivities took a turn for the colorful and the wonderfully weird
The town also welcomed the arrival of its new ‘leader’ for the next 7 days: His Majesty Carnestoltes
Hundreds watched as a ‘scientist’ attempted time and time again to create the perfect carnival king
Part of the play is for King Carnestoltes to have ‘taken over’ the Sitges town hall for the coming week
heralding the zany antics and celebrations yet to come
His arrival was quickly followed by that of antagonist
But don’t be fooled: the whole point is to represent a wickedly feminist transgressive character