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Jeddah Hosts Preliminary Regatta of 37th America’s Cup in Red Sea Waters

Jeddah Hosts Preliminary Regatta of 37th America’s Cup in Red Sea Waters
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Jeddah Hosts Preliminary Regatta of 37th America’s Cup in Red Sea Waters

Jeddah Hosts Preliminary Regatta of 37th America’s Cup in Red Sea Waters

Jeddah is scheduled to host the second preliminary regatta of the 37th America’s Cup (AC37) in the waters of the Red Sea between November 30 and December 3, 2023, making it the only venue outside of Spain to host an America’s Cup regatta during the 37th America’s Cup cycle, state news agency SPA reported.

Racing will be held off the race village and the Jeddah Yacht Club, adjacent to the spectacular F1 track on Jeddah’s corniche.

The event will be held in partnership with the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Sailing Federation, which have the great ambition of seeing sailing in Saudi Arabia grows rapidly, including through hosting many top-level sailing events and classes as part of the Saudi Vision 2030.

AC37 event CEO Grant Dalton said that the Kingdom creates opportunities to develop maritime navigation and create new links with sustainable projects in the Red Sea, noting that the American Cup and the AC40 race witnesses the best sailors in the world, and this is one of the ideal catalysts to boost sailing and expand access to the Red Sea, which has always been an important part of the Kingdom's history.

For his part, Chairman of the Saudi Sailing Federation Hassan Kabbani said that the America's Cup Preliminary Regatta will help accelerate the growth of sailing in Saudi Arabia, noting that the federation will use the event to launch a number of new initiatives, including the Discover Sailing programme, to encourage people to take on water sports, and a Performance Pathway for talented sailors to train to compete at top level.

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Space Pioneer Says Part of Rocket Crashed in Central China

FILE: This artist's illustration courtesy of Blue Origin obtained October 25, 2021, shows the core module of Orbital Reef. Handout BLUE ORIGIN/AFP/File
FILE: This artist's illustration courtesy of Blue Origin obtained October 25, 2021, shows the core module of Orbital Reef. Handout BLUE ORIGIN/AFP/File
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Space Pioneer Says Part of Rocket Crashed in Central China

FILE: This artist's illustration courtesy of Blue Origin obtained October 25, 2021, shows the core module of Orbital Reef. Handout BLUE ORIGIN/AFP/File
FILE: This artist's illustration courtesy of Blue Origin obtained October 25, 2021, shows the core module of Orbital Reef. Handout BLUE ORIGIN/AFP/File

Beijing Tianbing Technology Co said on Sunday that the first stage of its Tianlong-3 rocket under development had detached from its launch pad during a test due to structural failure and landed in a hilly area of the city of Gongyi in central China.

There were no reports of casualties after an initial investigation, Beijing Tianbing, also known as Space Pioneer, said in a statement on its official WeChat account, Reuters reported.

Parts of the rocket stage were scattered within a "safe area" but caused a local fire, according to a separate statement by the Gongyi emergency management bureau.

The fire has since been extinguished and no one has been hurt, the bureau said.

The two-stage Tianlong-3 ("Sky Dragon 3") is a partly reusable rocket under development by Space Pioneer, one of a small group of rapidly growing private-sector rocket makers over the past five years.

Falling rocket debris in China after launches is not unheard of, but it is very rare for part of a rocket under development to make an unplanned flight out of its test site and crash.

According to Space Pioneer, the first stage of the Tianlong-3 ignited normally during a hot test but later detached from the test bench due to structural failure and landed in hilly areas 1.5 kms (0.9 miles) away.

The performance of Tianlong-3 is comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9, according to Space Pioneer.

In April 2023, Space Pioneer launched a kerosene-oxygen rocket, the Tianlong-2, becoming the first private Chinese firm to send a liquid-propellant rocket into space.

Chinese commercial space companies have rushed into the sector since 2014 when private investment in the industry was allowed by the state.

Many started making satellites while others including Space Pioneer, focused on developing reusable rockets that can significantly cut mission costs.

The test sites of such companies can be found along China's coastal areas, located by the sea due to safety reasons.

But some are also sited deep in the country's interior such as Space Pioneer's test centre in Gongyi, a city of 800,000 people in the central province of Henan.