The America's Cup opens to Barcelona residents with the beaches as stands

A passerby uses his hand as a visor to better see what is behind the bars protecting the base of one of the participating teams in the America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, located in the old Baleària terminal. Either he is a fan of the regatta and wants to know the latest news about the team that holds the title, or he doesn't know much about what they are doing with that strange boat, which looks like it has the chassis of a racing car and needs a crane to mount its mast.

A few days before its premiere, it remains to be seen what kind of following the regatta will have in a Barcelona that knew little about it until its arrival was announced and, two years later, it remains largely unknown to many. Its beaches will play in its favor, becoming the best grandstands from which to follow the competition, and a city that, in the face of major events, always gets involved, whether liked or not, as was recently seen with the Formula 1 exhibition.

Be that as it may, the regatta organization has worked with the Barcelona City Council to enable spaces from which to watch the races, beyond those who prefer to lie on the beach, with Sant Miquel, Barceloneta, and Somorrostro being the best spots to plant a towel, if there is free space for it. The organization advises that you should bring your mobile phone to connect and get a good understanding of what is happening on the water. The main space will be at Moll de la Fusta, with a screen from which to follow the competition, scheduled between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, and understand who wins with the explanations given by the commentators. On race days, the main members of the six participating teams in this year's edition will come to talk about how their day went.

With an area of 25,000 square meters, there will be typical foodtrucks, here made from old port containers, where about forty city restaurants will take turns. A grill area will also be set up, with fresh fish from the Barcelona Fishermen's Guild and meat and vegetables from the Barceloneta market. With the sun still beating down, there will also be shade and fountains, as well as restrooms.

This space, known as Race Village and with free access, will open this Thursday, coinciding with the start of the third and final preliminary regatta of the America's Cup, after those held in Vilanova i la Geltrú and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). It will be the first time that the six teams will compete in Barcelona waters, where they have been training for some time and watching how the others do. After the preliminary regatta, the Race Village will close for a few days until next Thursday, when the Round Robin will begin, a phase prior to the semifinals in which one of the teams will already be eliminated. From then on, it will be operational until the end of the competition, scheduled for the end of October. It will have a schedule that will run from 12 noon to 10 and 11 at night, depending on the day.

It will not be the only place to find out everything that is happening at sea. Two fan villages have been prepared, where there will also be screens to watch the day's regatta and foodtrucks where you can grab a bite to eat. With free access, they will be located in Plaça del Mar, in front of Sant Miquel beach, and Bogatell beach. The biggest fans will be able to approach the bases of the participating teams, distributed around Port Vell, to see from the outside how they prepare and cast off. For now, only the American team's base, the New York Yacht Club American Magic, will be accessible, which will show its inner workings, after payment of different VIP packages.

Then, of course, there will be the privileged viewpoints, with a Port Vell that has pulled out all the stops to open more spaces to the public for the America's Cup. One will be, precisely, the new Rompeolas promenade, past the W hotel, opened less than a year ago. From there you will be able to see the teams up close as they enter and leave the port to go compete.

Port Olímpic has also taken advantage of the competition to accelerate its transformation, with the opening of the breakwater facilitating another good viewpoint. In addition, here are the bases of the 12 teams of the youth competition and the women's, organized for the first time here in Barcelona. Only the imminent launch of its new restaurant area on the Gregal Pier, the Gastronomic Balcony, with a dozen establishments including Hermanos Torres and Familia Nuri (Ca la Nuri), remains pending.

Better to arrive by public transport

To reach the beaches and the different enabled spaces, the Barcelona City Council recommends walking, cycling or taking public transport. The stops on metro line 4 will be the closest, but buses that run along the beach such as the 47, 59, H14, H16, V15, V27 or D20 will also bring spectators closer. All lines will reinforce their service during days of higher influx, as will Bicing, with temporary stops. Parking for bicycles and scooters will also be implemented in enclosed areas.

For residents of Barceloneta, circulation and parking accreditations have been created to facilitate their passage in the event of possible cuts on days with high influx. So far, about 11,000 accreditations have been issued to those who have parking spaces in the area, as well as to port workers. Access for emergency vehicles, taxis and delivery vans will also be guaranteed.