The preparation of the facilities for America’s Cup in Valencia port’s inner dock entails building three new marinas with a large number of berths for big yachts.

Port America’s Cup is the name given to the new por t to house the events for America’s Cup and which has been created by isolating the former inner dock from the rest of the Valencian port. To carry out the remodelling operation, the only thoroughfare for land traffic, which was the former lifting bridge, has been turned into a permanent road. By closing off the former outlet to the sea from the dock in this way, this now has a new exclusive channel open to the northeast, by freeing that area from moving traffic.This major urban development remodelling plan is the result of the agreements and requisites involved in arranging America’s Cup in Valencia, necessary to create the zone for locating the organisation’s bases and offices.This has meant that a por t for leisure sailing has been formed for locating the bases of the teams and the headquarters of the organisation, apart from public leisure areas. Although the last two phases must wait for 2007 to come round, a good deal of the new facilities already came into operation during the May regattas, as well as most of the bases of the teams.

THREE MARINAS FOR RECREATION USE
The remodelling has allowed creating three spheres each corresponding to a marina for specific use. On one hand there is what is known as the VSM (Valencia Super yacht Marina), which is able to take 42 super-yachts of from 35 to 80 metres in length. Located in the middle of the port’s water space, it is based on a long T-shaped jetty, which already provisionally berthed follow-up ships belonging to the organisation and connected with the teams. Until the end of the America’s Cup, the VSM will maintain the same use of its moorings and remodelled facilities.
Apart from this, two marinas have been set up in the new port exit channel. One of these, the so-called Northern Marina, is already running, with a capacity for 160 yachts of from 15 to 25 metres in length. These facilities are beside the large public leisure zone, in which, apart from promenades, the AC park has been installed as an area like a theme park from which the regatta proceedings can be following directly, thanks to the giant screens installed there, as well as having fun looking at different exhibitions and activities connected with the event.
Finally, the Southern Marina, with a capacity for around five hundred yachts of from 12 to 25 metres in length, is not intended to come into operation until early 2007, running at full pace for the definitive series of the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup 2007. The three marinas have outstanding services according to the status of the clientele that they are intended to cater for: telecommunications, laundry, security with electronic vigilance, shops, car park, black water cleaning, etc.
Its proximity to the regatta zone, just ten minutes from the northern field located in front of Malvarosa beach, and the fact of being immersed in the area of action of the teams and in the public thematic area for the event, will be a great help for sailing lovers who are considering experiencing the America’s Cup with their yachts, but who had not got their moorings arranged yet. The future exploitation of the three new marinas in the Port America’s Cup has not yet been got under way, still waiting to find out who the new Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup will be. Renewal of the title by the Swiss Alinghi or a hypothetical victory of the Spanish Challenge would mean a great chance of Valencia housing the Cup again, and the new port thus doing honours to its name for a new cycle. For further information and to make reservations, the web page www.portamericascup.com has been set up, detailing the characteristics of the facilities, services and terms.