America’s Cup Venue – Malaga put 75 million euros on the table

Malaga is reported to have confirmed a €75 million bid to host the next America’s Cup, sparking a verbal battle with arch rivals Barcelona.

Spain’s Andalusian city is reported to have formally offered 75 million euros, after a loan was agreed by Malaga and the regional government of Andalusia.

There would also be 15 million euros from a private multinational as yet unspecified. This latest move seems to put Malaga in the driving seat in the battle with Barcelona to host AC37.

Although Malaga will have to carry out majort works on the infrastructure of the Dique de Levante within its port, while Barcelona already has suitable spaces within the commercial port.

And Barcelona is determined not to be left out . . .

The Catalan region appears to have the City Council, the Government and the Barcelona Provincial Council all in favour of hosting the America’s Cup event.

The Department of Business and Employment has been authorised to undertake any necessary actions to promote the candidacy of the Catalan capital in order to win the event, claiming a positive impact at 1,000 million euros.

And the impact claims get evermore extreme with talk of . . . “important image and positioning benefits on an international scale, not only for the Catalan capital, but for the whole country, and, extension, for the business fabric of Catalonia”

Meanwhile Cork’s chances of making a winning bid to host the next America’s Cup look to be struggling according to a report in the Irish Examiner.

The Department of Tourism, which has been conducting due diligence for several months on a possible Irish bid focused on Cork Harbour, issued a two-line statement, stating:

“The department has been engaged in an assessment aimed at evaluating the potential of this event and whether or not Ireland should move forward in the host venue bid process. This process will inform any possible decision on whether or not to recommend the hosting of this event to government.”

Cork Chamber president, Paula Cogan, said they have requested an update by the end of this week, noting that it was difficult for government to be seen to be putting substantial investment into an international sporting event.

But in 18 months’ time, when this event is due to take place, it would hopefully be in a different economic climate.

Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton is in Europe to inspect the short-listed venues for the defence of the 37th America’s Cup.

This follows a falling out with the New Zealand government and the Auckland Council after they bulked at funding another expensive Cup defence.

Attacks by the ‘Kiwi Home Defence Group’ on Dalton’s leadership of ETNZ muddied the waters and did not help the process.

Cork in Ireland, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, and Malaga and Barcelona in Spain – have been or are on the short-list being considered by Mr Dalton and his international brokers at Sir Keith Mills’ Origin Sports Group.

Plus of course the fall-back to a home defence in Auckland if he can squeeze more funds from New Zealand sources, and face admitting he may have got it wrong!

New Zealand back in the frame to host 37th America’s Cup