The Nautical Show wants to join the wave that the sector will experience with the arrival of the America's Cup to the city next year. "I never would have thought it would be held in Barcelona," acknowledged its president, Luis Conde, a fan of the competition who has already seen it twice, "nor did anyone think we would have the Olympic Games, but Spain does very well with the revelry." As it is the most important regatta in the world, in addition to one of the three sports events with the most international impact, the show organized by Fira de Barcelona from October 11 to 15 will be "marked by the spirit of the America's Cup," with the participating teams already installed in the Port of Barcelona and training on the Barcelona coast. "We are very excited, we have a year ahead of us in which nautical will not only be talked about through specific events," says its director, Josep Antoni Llopart.
The America's Cup will be so present at this year's Nautical Show that, in fact, it has already had to reorganize itself to fit into the space left free by the six bases of the participating teams, distributed throughout the Port Vell. After occupying the Fusta, Espanya, and Marina docks for the first time last year, the show will concentrate its offer on the three docks and will keep half of the space of the Moll d'Espanya, where the Ineos Britannia, a United Kingdom team whose base occupies the old Imax parking lot, is located. Likewise, the informative activities of the show will move, such as the Port of Barcelona stand, which will not be inside the fair but will be located in the Portal de la Pau. "We have tried to maintain the growth of 2022 and combine it with the preparations for the America's Cup," says Llopart. In addition, taking advantage of the reopening of the cinema converted into a regatta dissemination center, the America's Cup Experience, attendees to the show will have a small discount to visit it.
More than 240 exhibitors will be present at this 61st edition of the Nautical, a figure below last year. Despite this, Llopart emphasizes that a large part of the brands have expanded the surface area they had contracted compared to 2022, so a total of 22,000 square meters will continue to be occupied. There will be 160 exhibition boats in the floating display, in line with the previous show, in addition to 20 catamarans. Electrification also reaches the maritime sector, as can be seen at the Nautical, with two completely electric boats. As novelties, there will be a boat for going for a ride or diving that can be transported in the car or various submersible jet skis. Some of the participating brands will be Beneteau, Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon, Yamaha or Zodiac. Some have been recovered, such as Recambios Marinos, and new ones have been added, such as Candela and Blue Game.
The organizers expect to reach the 50,000 attendees they usually gather each year. The goal is to break what they consider as clichés, such as that nautical can only be afforded by a few, to expand the public that visits the Nautical. This is where rental boats, which are gaining strength in the sector, become important, indicates the general director of the National Association of Nautical Companies (ANEM), Jordi Carrasco. In fact, according to Carrasco, four out of ten boats that are bought are already destined for rental.
The show will be open to the public from 10 in the morning to 7 in the evening. On Friday, October 15, it will be extended until 10 at night so that exhibitors can organize events.
Next year's edition, up in the air
The America's Cup will not only affect the celebration of this Nautical, but it is expected that the impact will be greater next year, taking into account that by dates it will coincide with the second phase of the regatta, in which the current title defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, will compete with the winner of the first phase. "We have not decided anything yet," explains Conde, emphasizing that options such as changing the location or date are on the table. "We will have to do something, a show like the one we have now is impossible with the America's Cup," he adds.
Despite this impact, the show is confident that making the city the venue for the regatta will allow it to grow in the coming years, with the possibility of attracting more brands and new audiences. "We notice greater national and local interest in being at the show: Barcelona is in the spotlight. The America's Cup will be a lever for growth for future editions," Llopart defends.