4464 - Valencia, Spain

Valencia was the host city for the thirty-second edition of the America’s Cup, one of the most prestigious events in sailing. The America’s Cup is the oldest international sporting competition still in existence, dating back to the mid-19th century. The event consists of match races between two sailing yachts: one representing the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (the “defender”) and the other representing the challenging yacht club (the “challenger”). The winner is awarded the famous trophy known as the “Auld Mug.”

The first race for the Cup took place on August 22, 1851, around the Isle of Wight. It featured the schooner America, representing the New York Yacht Club, competing against a fleet of 15 yachts from Britain’s Royal Yacht Squadron. The race was witnessed by Queen Victoria and the future King Edward VII, and America emerged victorious—giving the trophy its name.

The New York Yacht Club went on to dominate the competition, winning the Auld Mug 25 times and holding it continuously from 1857 to 1983. This remarkable 132-year winning streak was finally broken when Australia II, representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club, defeated the Americans in a historic upset that is still celebrated as one of the greatest moments in sailing history.

America’s Cup races are not held on a fixed schedule, but they typically occur every three to four years. Since 1970, a Challenger Selection Series—now commonly known as the Louis Vuitton Cup (and more recently the Prada Cup)—has been used to determine which team earns the right to challenge the defender.

The most recent America’s Cup, held in 2024, saw Emirates Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, successfully defend their title against INEOS Britannia of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The New Zealand team won convincingly with a score of 7–2.

Valencia hosted the 2007 America’s Cup, marking the first time the event was held in Europe since 1851. The final match was contested between Société Nautique de Genève (Alinghi, SUI-100) of Switzerland and Team New Zealand (NZL-92), representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Because Switzerland is a landlocked country, the hosting rights were awarded through a competitive bidding process, which Valencia won over several other candidate cities.

The 32nd America’s Cup took place between June 23 and July 3, 2007 (note: earlier rounds and challenger races began in April).
Société Nautique de Genève, represented by Alinghi, successfully defended the Cup with a 5–2 victory over Team New Zealand.