It’s crunch time for Cup series events

Last August, Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee announced that the America’s Cup World Series was coming to the Ocean State. Now with only two months left to pull the event together, it’s getting to be crunch time in communities that will be holding events.
Series organizers have been busy planning the multitude of details necessary to make the festivities seamless. It has taken a team of more than 100 people and by all accounts, things are on schedule.
On June 21, there will be a regatta of classic America’s Cup boats in Narragansett, 12-meter yachts, some of which are past winners of the Cup. A celebration in downtown Newport is scheduled for the next day and will include events such as an outside movie, weather permitting, and a performance from the U.S. Navy Band. There will also be a number of lectures and workshops throughout May and June. Trials for the state-of-the-art, AC45 wing-sailed catamarans begin June 23, with racing to start June 27. It will be the first time the catamarans will be raced on the East Coast. The series wraps up July 1.
The America’s Cup World Series is a global event and the Newport regatta is the third and final race this year – races were held earlier in Naples and Venice, Italy.
The series means a lot to Rhode Island and its economy. An economic-impact analysis by the R.I. Department of Revenue estimated the event will generate nearly $51 million in direct spending on construction, marine trades, hotel rooms, restaurants, transportation and retail. Another $21 million is expected from ancillary services and consumer spending.
South Kingstown and Narragansett have collaborated for months to create an event worthy of the series. The end result is the South County 12 Meter Regatta, a friendly race featuring the boats used in the Cup from the 1950s to the 1980s. “Our economic-development committees thought we should be doing something to help kick off the event in Newport,” said Maureen Crowley, Narragansett economic-development coordinator. A charter company has been hired to supply the yachts, and the captains are the boat owners. Companies that sponsor a yacht can have as many as 12 guests on the boat. As many as six boats are expected at this time. The yachts will compete in an exhibition race along the famous Narragansett sea wall, from Monahan’s Dock to the entrance of the Narrow River.
According to Crowley, food and retail vendors will set up in Veterans Park near the Narragansett Towers, providing a fair-like atmosphere. Arrangements for specific vendors are under way. A formal viewing reception will be held for sponsors at the Towers from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. The public is welcome to attend and the cost is $50. America’s Cup memorabilia will be on display at the Village Inn to provide an educational component and arrangements are in progress to provide a speaker on the Cup’s history in Newport.
“We are envisioning there will be a lot of people along the sea wall,” she said. “We want it to be a public event that everyone can enjoy.”
In Newport, City Manager Jane Howington chairs the logistics subcommittee for the state’s host committee. As such, her focus is to make sure things run smoothly. “During the weekdays satellite parking lots might not be needed but on the weekend it will be available,” Howington said. Our focus is to provide easy access to those areas, then we can shuttle people to Perrotti Park, the public pier downtown. Visitors can then be ferried by boat to Fort Adams and back.”
Satellite parking will be located in both Middletown and Newport, including the base of the Claiborne Pell Bridge, for easy access.
The arrangement is designed to reduce traffic in downtown Newport and enhance the experience with a ferry ride. It will also make the pier the center of attraction and maximize exposure to downtown’s restaurants and retail shops. They are also promoting the use of bicycles, encouraging people to use bikes and asking the local inns to provide rentals. The subcommittee is also exploring the use of developing smartphone apps to assist visitors. One would show the locations of parking lots and availability for each lot. Another might be an app displaying the location and wares of local merchants. “We’ve talked about it and we’re looking into it but I can’t say it will happen, we might be too late in the process,” she said.
The first few days are designated for practicing and Sail Newport will have a youth regatta on June 26. Racing begins in earnest the following day, with Fort Adams the major venue. “There will be bleachers and big-screen televisions available,” Howington said. “The state has been improving the infrastructure of the fort for the race.”
The inner courtyard of Fort Adams will host an “exploration zone” comprised of exhibits for marine science, weather, ocean conservation, interactive displays, lectures, demonstrations, movies and children’s activities. Food, beverages and vendors will be available, and June 23 to June 26 will be free-of-charge, practice-racing days. Racing will be from 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The Newport County Chamber of Commerce will position a hospitality booth at Fort Adams to help direct visitors to other events that will be happening during the week.
“To have everything at the fort is great for those watching the series but it isn’t necessarily great for the business community,” said Jody Sullivan, executive director of the Chamber and co-chairwoman of the America’s Cup Hospitality & Events Subcommittee. Much of the Chamber’s focus is on the area between Washington Square and lower Thames Street.
“We want to make it a boon for all of downtown, but we also want this to be a statewide event for everyone to enjoy,” she said. •