Americas Cup New York City

The 35th Americas Cup returned to New York this past weekend (May 7-8) after almost a century. This is a historic moment for America's Cup which was previously held in New York from 1870 through 1920 before moving to Newport, Rhode Island in 1930. I was excited to watch as were the crowds that lined both sides of the Hudson river!

The Small Course

I was surprised the course was so small. See the map I created below. I sailed in a few regattas (amateur, of course) on small to medium sized boats, many of which were on courses many times the size. There were similar grumblings from other spectators as well.

It seemed the course/event was designed mostly to maximum photo ops against the downtown Manhattan skyline. At the reception (below), the sponsors mentioned they are making an effort to raise awareness and popularity of the sport so, this makes sense. I would have loved to see the boats reach the higher speeds they are capable of.

BMW VIP Reception

BMW, co-sponsor of the America's Cup, kicked off the weekend event with a VIP reception on Friday night. I received an invitation, I believe because I test drove at the BMW Winter xDrive Experience at Stratton, Vermont. This wasn't just a small hors d'oeuvre type of event. Several delicious food stations were available include grilled meats, veggies, as well as scallops grilled on the spot. Add plenty of drinks, dessert, and some of the crew from Team Oracle, and you have a fantastic event. They even brought out the America's Cup trophy at the end.

I was surprised to find out what it takes to be on the team. One of the crew members was in the Olympics and they train 5 long days a week: a few hours of sailing plus 2 workouts every day. Its a full time job!

The Race

Most of the race was a bit slow paced…which is probably the reason for the small course. I thought the high winds would have been perfect for sailing, but it seems that was just walking around the streets of downtown Jersey City.

The boats line up for the start of the race in front of the World Financial Center:

Team Oracle took an early lead

Plenty of fans watching from a pier in Jersey City:

This huge barge couldn't have had better timing to block the view:

My Camera: These photos were taken using my Sony a6000 (with a 200mm zoom).  The Sony packs the power of a full size DSLR while being small enough that I’m still willing to bring it when I travel.

RELATED

• CNN: America's Cup returns to New York City
• Gothamist: Photos: Lack Of Wind Can't Deflate Spirits Of America's Cup In NYC
• NY Times: For Experience, America’s Cup Teams Turn to Newcomers
• Washington Post: With America’s Cup return to New York comes a revitalization of sailing