America’s Cup: Team New Zealand’s Grant Dalton on decision to take preliminary regatta to Saudi Arabia

The America's Cup syndicates will sail their AC40s during a preliminary regatta in Jeddah in November. Photo / America's Cup

Grant Dalton is not expecting much backlash from the decision to take an America’s Cup preliminary regatta to Saudi Arabia.

After being touted as a potential host venue for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup in 2024 before Barcelona was finally revealed as the chosen host, Jeddah will host the second of three preliminary regattas, with America’s Cup teams to descend on the Saudi Arabian port city in late November.

It’s another case of Saudi Arabia’s controversial rise as a major player in world sport, labelled as ‘sportswashing’. Examples include the country’s heavy involved in the worlds of football, Formula One, combat sports, and golf, with human rights organisations arguing Saudi Arabia is using sport to divert attention from its tarnished reputation and human rights violations.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking, Dalton said he did not expect to face much political backlash when the America’s Cup ventures to the Middle East.

“No. Frankly, I think that, from our side, it’s the future,” Dalton said.

“Saudi Arabia and, in this case, Jeddah is embracing it, all sports are embracing it. There’s always political fallout but, I would suggest, from a lot of people that frankly haven’t been there. I have been there and I’ve seen what is happening, and I think it’s a great place.”

Posed with the debate over Saudi Arabia pumping money into sports and that it is where the centre of sport is eventually going to be, Dalton said “you’ll never win that argument” but noted that with a large percentage of the Saudi Arabian population being under 34 it was a way for the nation to find pathways into sport.

Reuters reports that a 2022 census showed 63 per cent of the nation’s population were under age 30, while the median age of the total population was 29.

“It’s just one fact alone,” Dalton said. “I think get onboard because that is the future.”

The decision to host a preliminary regatta immediately created an issue for one America’s Cup syndicate, with the New York Yacht Club’s American Magic unsuccessfully seeking an exemption from participating in the regatta. They cited heightened safety concerns for a team representing America in a place marked by the US State Department as a terror risk.

Sailing in the preliminary regattas is compulsory for all teams, and the arbitration panel ruled the matter was out of their hands, leaving the decision to Team New Zealand and Ineos Britannia as the defender and challenger of record respectively.

In their submissions to the panel in regard to American Magic’s application, both Team New Zealand and Britannia opposed it being granted, however a formal decision on the matter is yet to be announced.

For now, all attention will be on the first preliminary regatta in Vilanova i la Geltru, about 50km southwest of Barcelona, this weekend where the teams will get their first opportunity for proper racing against one another – albeit in the one-design AC40s.

The same vessels will be used for the event in Jeddah, with the final preliminary regatta being contested on AC75s, just before the beginning of the Challenger Series next August.