The First Women’s Regatta in America’s Cup History Will Come With a Trophy Designed by an Archistar
Sailing fever is set to challenge tennis-core big time.
As the anticipation for the America’s Cup is building, Puig on Tuesday unveiled the logo and trophy of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup — the first women’s regatta in the history of the elite sailing race — at Fundación Miró in Barcelona, the city where the competition will take place from Oct. 5 to 13.
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As reported, the Spanish beauty and fashion group last year became global partner of the 37th America’s Cup and official naming partner of the inaugural women’s race. The move further cements its long nautical history, marked by sponsorships ranging from those of the Copa del Rey in Palma de Mallorca between 1984 and 2006 to the Puig Vela Classica Barcelona regatta with the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona in 2008.
Joining the company’s chairman and chief executive officer Marc Puig, the America’s Cup event’s CEO Grant Dalton and offshore sailor and Puig Women’s America’s Cup event coordinator Abby Ehler, and archi-star and designer Patricia Urquiola attended the presentation event as it was revealed that she was tasked to conceive the trophy.
For the occasion, Urquiola used “a simple, geometric figure, like a cylinder, without decorative elements or a base, which at one point opens up like a large sail struck by the wind,” she said.
Made of silver and weighing about 5 kilograms, the trophy comes with a rich chiseling on its external part, hiding a rose gold effect inside. Unlike the original America’s Cup trophy — which was designed by Robert Garrard in 1848 — the Puig Women’s America’s Cup has no handles so that “the winning team can embrace it in its full form,” Urquiola said.
The Puig Women’s America’s Cup will be one of the highlights of the 37th America’s Cup. In addition to the six established official participants representing New Zealand, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, the U.S. and France, six new teams from Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Australia will join the race. As a result, there will be up to 70 female athletes competing in Barcelona, making it a ground-breaking initiative for the inclusion of women in what is billed as the world’s oldest international sporting trophy and the Formula 1 of the sea.
“Sailing, Barcelona and women are three words closely associated with Puig. We have supported sailing regattas for more than 40 years, we are a company born and rooted in Barcelona, and women are at the heart of our consumers and our people,” Puig said. “This is why we decided to support this beautiful idea as soon as we learned that Barcelona would be the location of the America’s Cup in 2024.”
“The Puig Women’s America’s Cup is the most exciting initiative that I’ve seen for female participation in sailing in my career,” Ehler said. “This will strengthen the pool of sailors aiming to make it to an elite level and supporting those pursuing technical shoreside roles. Providing a platform and opportunity for female sailors globally and creating more high-profile role models that will inspire young girls at the grassroots of our sport.”
Overall, the 37th edition of the America’s Cup is set to take place between Aug. 22 and Oct. 27 around Barcelona’s Port Vell and out along the beach to Port Olímpic. The complete slate of events includes several preliminary regattas, in addition to the Youth & Puig Women’s America’s Cup and the main events of the Louis Vuitton Cup and the 37th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup.
To be sure, the sports event will be a fashion affair, too. As reported, Louis Vuitton is again the title partner of the competition, after having played a role in America’s Cup races in the U.S., Australia, Bermuda, Hong Kong, Dubai, France and Spain and burnishing the regattas’ visibility and prestige.
Last week, the French fashion house unveiled a capsule collection for women and men in honor of sailing’s biggest event, a few days ahead of staging its cruise show also in the Mediterranean port city on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the uniforms K-Way designed for French challenger Orient Express will also make their public debut when the team will christen its sailboat. K-Way was revealed last year as the official supplier of the team — a partnership that extends to the women’s and junior’s squads — and unveiled the garments last month. These bear the K-Way logo, as well as that of Orient Express, the America’s Cup and other sponsors including L’Oréal, Alpine, Accor and Accor Live Limitless, among others.
Also last month, Miuccia Prada served a viral moment in christening Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s AC75 foiling monohull, the boat set to compete for the team her husband Patrizio Bertelli is president of. In tandem with the ceremony, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli revealed that Oakley is joining the team as its new technical performance partner.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Orient Express Racing will be joined by challengers Ineos Britannia, Alinghi Red Bull Racing and New York Yacht Club American Magic in battling it out on the water to face off with “defender” Emirates Team New Zealand for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Barcelona.
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