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.
