CaixaBank joins the select group of major brands that have committed to becoming sponsors of the next edition of the America's Cup, which will be held in Barcelona this 2024. Damm, Puig, Cupra, and Mahou San Miguel are the other four Spanish companies that have chosen to embrace this competition, considered the third largest sporting event in the world, only surpassed by the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup.
The financial group's iconic blue star, designed by Joan Miró, will be displayed on the sails and hull of the AC40 boat with which the only Spanish team participating in the America's Cup, Sail Team BCN, led by Guillermo Altadill, will compete. This is a double team that will try to win not one, but two of the three competitions encompassed by this great event: the women's regatta ---which is held for the first time in history--- and the one for the youngest sailors, under 25 years old. Spain does not participate in the men's adult America's Cup, reserved for only six countries, compared to the twelve that will face each other between September 26 and October 16 in the regattas of the so-called Youth & Puig Women's America's Cup.
According to CaixaBank's chairman, José Ignacio Goirigolzarri, there are many reasons that have led the entity to get on board with the America's Cup, a team competition that fits with its values and will allow the bank to further strengthen its close ties with the world of sport, where today it sponsors more than 300 teams, mainly in football and basketball. "Our commitment and support for sport is part of our DNA," said the banker during the presentation of the sponsorship, the amount of which has not been disclosed.
Goirigolzarri emphasized that for CaixaBank "it is a true source of pride that Barcelona hosts such an important event," which is why the entity had to be present in some way in the competition and what better way to do it than by supporting the only Spanish team and female and youth talent. "The America's Cup will be the biggest sporting event held here since the 1992 Olympic Games. Barcelona, for weeks, will once again be the world capital of sport," he stated.
Goirigolzarri: "It is a true source of pride that Barcelona hosts such an important event; it will once again be the world capital of sport"For the chairman of CaixaBank, there are three main aspects that justify the bank's commitment to the world of sailing. Firstly, he highlightsthe value of teamwork, "where individual talent is put at the service of the group." Next, he underlines "the extraordinaryadaptabilitythat this sport demands, with continuous changes in the environment, in sea conditions, to which one must react with a positive mentality open to change." Finally, the third parallel with CaixaBank's culture lies in "thedecided commitment to innovation and technological developmentwith the aim of improving performance and competitiveness."
"Our society, our future, needs young people like you, with great doses of healthy ambition and competitiveness, and willing to work as a team to achieve a common goal shared by all," Goirigolzarri concluded, addressing the team members who attended CaixaBank's headquarters this Wednesday to participate in the sponsorship presentation event, hosted by Olga Viza. Among the attendees, in addition to Guillermo Altadill, were the coach of Sail Team BCN, Mónica Azón, and sailors such as Tamara Echegoyen, Silvia Mas, Neus Ballester, Albert Torras, Nico Martín, Marcos Fernández, and Jaime Framis. The final composition of the two Spanish teams, made up of eight women and eight sailors between 18 and 25 years old, will be announced in early 2024.
Altadill, Team Principal of Sail Team BCN, assures that the team is working hard to participate in the Youth & Puig Women's America's Cup "with all guarantees of success." In this sense, the money they will receive from CaixaBank is key "to achieve success in such a technological sport" that requires not only the talent of the sailors, but also the "necessary resources" to be able to have an AC40 boat and also the corresponding training simulator.
According to Altadill, having a brand like CaixaBank "on board" represents another great advantage: "its important convening power will bring the competition closer to the general public, which is what we need." "We are a small team, but CaixaBank will make Sail Team BCN known to everyone and make the city vibrate again like in Barcelona 92," Altadill added, recalling the games in which he participated as a sailor member of the Spanish Olympic team. "As a Barcelonian, I am proud that my city is organizing the 37th America's Cup," the veteran sailor pointed out, after assuring that they will not "disappoint."
Guillermo Altadill: "We are a small team, but CaixaBank will make Sail Team BCN known to everyone and make the city vibrate again like in Barcelona 92"Both Altadill and Tamara Echegoyenhave highlighted the importance that, for the first time in its 172 years, the competition has opened up to women and that this first regatta is held, precisely, in Barcelona.It is a "unique opportunity" that was quickly spotted by the Puig family perfumery group, which decided to become the main sponsor of the women's regatta, to which it has also given its name.
"Sailing in Spain is a talent factory in all its modalities and ages. For this reason, I believe it is a unique opportunity to have a women's team and a youth team, in one of the biggest competitions in our sport and to be able to work to develop their maximum potential," said Echegoyen, a sailor from Sail Team BCN.
Twelve countries divided into two groups
The twelve countries participating in the Youth & Women's America's Cup will be divided into two groups. One will be made up of the six countries competing in the America's Cup with the men's team: New Zealand, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, United States, and France. In the second, there will be the invited countries that only participate in the youth and women's regatta: Spain, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Australia.
The Youth America's Cup will be held from September 26, 2024, to October 2, while the Puig Women's America's Cup will take place starting October 10. In the qualifying phase, between six and nine races will be held for each of the two groups of six countries. Then the three best teams from each group will advance to the final series, competing in three or four races that will allow choosing the two finalists, who will compete for the title in a single race on October 16. That day must be marked in red on the calendar, as it will be one of the most important days of the America's Cup held in Barcelona, coinciding with the third day of competition for the six men's teams.
Both the youth and women will use the flying monohull model called AC40, 11.8 meters long, and based on the design of the winner of the 36th America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand. This is a boat that, depending on the wind and the skill of the crew, can reach speeds of 20 to 46 knots, equivalent to more than 80 kilometers per hour. For their part, the six men's teams will compete with a larger boat, the AC75. Although the teams consist of eight sailors, the boat's crew during the race is only four people: two helmsmen and two trimmers.
The Sail Team BCN has not yet received the AC40 boat with which it will compete in the races, so, for now, to train, it uses an advanced simulator and, at sea, a GC32 catamaran model.
Who sponsors what
CaixaBank is the fifth major Spanish brand to announce a sponsorship linked to the America's Cup. Damm was the first company to bet big on this event, of which it is an official sponsor of the entire competition and, in parallel, sponsor of the defending men's team, the Emirates Team New Zeland. For its part, Puig sponsors the women's race, and Cupra has also joined the general competition as a Global Partner. Finally, Mahou San Miguel is the official sponsor of the New York Yacht Club American Magic, the only American team that will represent the United States in the 37th America's Cup.