Politics as Usual

After three years of this harangue, most Cup veterans are giving fiesty Mayoress Rita Barbera a lot of credit for what has been accomplised in Valencia for the America's Cup despite the antipathy of the Central Government and current ruling party. From this morning's Valencia Life newsletter....

AMERICAS CUP:
A GENTLE REMINDER

After the outburst by Jordi Sevilla, the Minister of Public Administrations over what could happen to the Valencia 2007 Consortium after the Americas Cup Races this year, Valencia Mayoress Rita Barbera stated that she considered these statements ‘light’. She also reminded the Minister that the ownership of Valencia Port was with the Town Hall and not with the central government ‘ and this exists through several notarised documents’. She also stated that she did not want to ‘put more wood on the fire’ and suggested that the Minister avoids these types of declarations in future ‘because what we are looking at is the most important worldwide event that has ever been staged in Valencia and we must ensure that we offer the world the unity and illusions that we all have for the event’. She also suggested that Mr. Sevilla ‘become less angry and raise a glass to toast to the success of the event’. Meanwhile Vicente Rambla, the Spokesman for the Valencian Government accused the Madrid Government of ‘trying to destabilize the Americas Cup event’. He also stated that it was Mr. Sevilla who signed the act of constitution of the Consortium, and despite this the Madrid Government has ‘not come through with a single penny’ to support the event. He added that ‘many other locations in the world would love to stage a competition of this sort, and it is a shame that certain people do not think the same way as we do over the matter’.

Formerly the Dársena Interior, the Port America's Cup has come a long way, baby, since we first visited Valencia in November of 2003. The North (main) racing area is in the background, only a ten minute tow from the team bases, and allowing spectators to see the racing from the breakwater and Malvarossa Beach (upper left), albeit at a distance. With Act 13 beginning in less than a week, the Super Yacht Dock (T-dock, center) is beginning to fill up with large team spectator and private yachts. Aside from 53 race committee vessels, the outer marinas appear, so far, to have less uptake. (File photo.)



A more recent photo by ACM/Carlo Borlenghi looking the other direction, from above the America's Cup Park North (foreground, center) and showing the rapidly developing America's Cup Park South (left along the Canal). They have built it. Will they come?