Everything revolves around Grant Dalton.
He is the skipper of Team New Zealand, defender of this America’s Cup, and is the CEO of the competition, a legendary trophy that starts on August 22 in the waters of Barcelona, ??dizzying numbers, dizzying boats sailing through the waters, hundreds of specialists from all luck and fur, thousands of spectators appearing on the seafront.
Everything revolves around Grant Dalton (66).
And if Grant Dalton stops and reflects and says to himself: ‘I think women also deserve their space in this America’s Cup’, then the rest nod and start scheming.
For the first time in the infinite history of the America’s Cup, or the Hundred Guinea Cup (and we have to go back 173 years, to 1851), women will have their space.
(Women will have it, and also youth).
Nace la Puig Women’s America’s Cup.
The test came to life this Tuesday at the Fundació Joan Miró, in Montjuïc, and Patricia Urquiola smiles satisfied.
(She is an architect and designer, and the mother of the trophy that, proud in silver, without base and without handles, shines on stage).
-This cup was born in these times. It has no handles, no base, it is a wide cylinder 58 cm high, a simple figure that at one point deforms and opens like a sail, and thus simulates the wind. We can lift it, but we can also embrace it completely – says Urquiola.
(According to the NY Times, she is the most awarded European designer of the moment).
Twelve teams will make up the women’s competition, which will have two groups of six.
The pre-classified boats are those that make up the America’s Cup poster: New Zealand, Italy, France, Great Britain, United States and Switzerland. The other six invited teams are Spain (Sail Team BCN), Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Germany and Spain.
Abby Ehler, event coordinator, tells us that each group will race against each other, and the best three in each group will advance to the semifinal and, from there, two to the final.
They sail in the AC40 class, 12.19 m long boats with capacity for four crew members that advance at 45 knots per hour (around 83 km/h).
-They are not easy boats to handle, but among the sailors (75 in total) there are Olympic and world champions, there are women who have sailed around the world, this is going to be a very exciting moment – says Silvia Mas, Sail Team sailor. BCN.
-We are a cosmetics and fashion company. The majority of our clients are female, as are 70% of the company’s employees. We have forty years associated with sailing. For a quarter of a century we have been sponsors of the Copa del Rey de Mallorca and we are already going for the 17th edition of the classic boats of Barcelona (in September: the Puig Classic Sailing Regatta). Being behind this women’s category suits us like a glove – says Marc Puig, executive president of Puig.
Grant Dalton is asked:
-What is the difference between a sailor and a girl?
-They communicate much better. I realized that at the time, and that reflection led me to think about giving them a space.
-But do you think that one day the women’s category will become independent of the Copa del América?
-I don’t see why they would want to do it. The America’s Cup is the top of the world regattas. Why would they want to disengage?
