San Diego is about to get a treat. It has just been announced that the world’s finest sailors are coming to compete on San Diego Bay on March 2-6, 2011. These big names include Russell Coutts, Paul Cayard, James Spithill, Rod Davis and Terry Hutchinson.
The sailors will race against each other in identical 44-foot sailboats, the RC 44. These carbon-fiber sailboats are high-performance and created for exciting short-course racing. The racing format will combine that of the America’s Cup and the Olympics’- Match Racing and Fleet Racing.
The competition will take place in front of the Broadway Pier, where the public is welcome to view the race up close, completely free of charge.
This is the first time the RC 44 Championship Tour will take place in California. It will make two stops in the US, first in Miami (December) and then in San Diego, before heading back to Europe. 14 sailboats will be coming to San Diego, along with the top sailors from New Zealand, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Austria, Russia and the US.
International attention will be drawn to the beautiful San Diego Bay and San Diego waterfront. Businesses in downtown San Diego will benefit from the mass amounts of tourists coming to view these races, and in the mean time, exploring the city of San Diego.
World-class racing that takes place in a world-class vacation destination will definitely showcase the amazing city of San Diego and bring in tons of tourism dollars- which will benefit the city greatly.
The event will also draw the attention of a diverse group of local San Diegans; the exciting, fast-pace race will appeal to the younger generation while the love for sailing (whether it be sailboats or yachts) will appeal to the older generation.
The event is supported by SD Tourism Marketing District, a non-profit group focused on improving San Diego tourism, as well as sponsorships, contributions, and donations.
“I love racing in San Diego and I am looking forward to a great regatta”, said Coutts in a press release, who won the America’s Cup in San Diego for the first time in 1995 before winning the Cup three more times.
