Cultural Performances and Celebrations Mark
Opening Festivities
Louis Vuitton Cup Racing Begins Sunday: Press Release
San Francisco, USA, July 5 2013
Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Gilles
Martin-Raget
The 2013 America’s Cup opened amid great fanfare and
celebration today with the grand Opening Ceremony on the main stage at the
America’s Cup Pavilion.
With the sailors of the four teams contesting the 2013 America’s Cup,
Oracle Team USA, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Challenge and
Artemis Racing standing behind her, Lucy M. Jewett, recently elected to
the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, brought the opening ceremony to a close by
saying, “Let the racing begin.”
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Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Gilles
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Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Gilles
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With those words paper streamers were shot from air guns,
a flock of doves was released and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” rang out over
the full house crowd that took in the Opening Ceremony, a fraction of the
30,000 visitors who toured the Park on a sun-splashed Independence Day
holiday in the United States.
For the first time since 1995, the America’s Cup is being hosted in the
U.S.
“Welcome to San Francisco,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “It’s an honor and
privilege to be the mayor of the host city for the America’s Cup.”
“I’d like to extend a big thank you to San Francisco for making all of this
possible,” said America’s Cup Event Authority CEO Stephen Barclay. “This
won’t be remembered as the 2013 America’s Cup or the 34th America’s Cup,
but the San Francisco America’s Cup.”
The Opening Ceremony featured cultural performances from the four competing
nations. The U.S. was represented by the Recycle Percussion troupe, New
Zealand by the Maori performing arts group Te Waka Huia, Italy by the tenor
Pasquale Esposito, and Sweden by the Voices of Sweden Choir.
Additional performances were from Misa Malone, from the cast of Beach
Blanket Babylon, who sang “San Francisco,” and Nayah Damasen, an 8-year-old
from San Jose, Calif., who sang the National Anthem. Representatives from
the U.S. Coast Guard Color Guard and the United States Naval Sea Cadet
Corps ushered in the American flag and the flags of Italy, New Zealand and
Sweden.
The park officially opened shortly after noon time with San Francisco Board
of Supervisors President David Chiu, Monique Moyer, Executive Director of
the Port of San Francisco, Valérie Chapoulaud, the CEO of Louis Vuitton
Americas, Charlotte Schultz, the Chief of Protocol for the city and county
of San Francisco, and the ACEA’s Barclay, participating in a ribbon-cutting
ceremony at the entrance to the America’s Cup Park.
When the gates opened a few thousand people flooded into the park. As the
crowd increased into the tens of thousands throughout the afternoon, the
fans took in many of the exhibits and fan friendly lounge areas and
concessions.
One visiting family was the Browns from Destin, Fla., who changed their
typical summer vacation plans to visit San Francisco for the month of
July.
“We’re very impressed with the venue,” said Alex Brown. “My husband
Jerry is very excited about the America’s Cup.”
“We’re looking forward to getting out on the water and watching the
racing,” said Jerry Brown.
Tomorrow the America’s Cup action takes to the water with a fleet parade
scheduled to begin at 11:00 am PT. The parade of some 45 boats is expected
to include the AC72s, the foiling, flying catamarans developed specifically
for the 2013 America’s Cup. The parade will pass along the city front to
the America’s Cup Village, at Marina Green.
At 12:15 pm PT Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Challenge and Oracle
Team USA are scheduled to participate in the AC72 Time Trials, which will
be held over the five-leg America’s Cup course. The starts will be
staggered by 10 minutes off the America’s Cup Village and finish off the
America’s Cup Park with many viewing opportunities along the shoreline.
On race day afternoons throughout the Summer of Racing, the America’s Cup
Pavilion stage will showcase local performing artists free to the public.
The Opening Weekend features five local bands with the first of these
performances on Friday, July 5, from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm PT.
The headliner act is New Diplomat, an American Alternative - Electronic
Rock band. Featuring members from around the world, the band formed in
2010 and has since gathered a significant following, blending a combination
of alt rock, indie pop and electronic music.
The opening act is The Five Hundreds, a San Francisco-based classic rock
band that plays a mix of well-crafted original songs and high-energy rock
and roll covers.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Gilles
Martin-Raget
Success. L to R: Charlotte Schultz (SF Chief of Protocol), David Chiu (SF
Board of Supervisors President), Monique Moyer (Executive Director Port of
SF), Stephen Barclay (CEO ACEA), and Valérie
Chapoulaud (CEO Louis Vuitton Americas).
Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Gilles
Martin-Raget
Bird's-eye perspective on wings.
Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Abner Kingman
Superyacht stern watching.
Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Abner Kingman
Team members join the crowd.
Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Abner Kingman
Pavilion and skyline.
Photo: ©2013 ACEA/Abner Kingman
---From America's Cup Event Authority/©2013 ACEA
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