33rd America's Cup

Ras Al Khaimah, work in progress

The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) is getting ready to host 33rd America’s Cup in February 2010.

The first race of the best of three series is scheduled for February 8th at a location with great building sea breeze during the day, similar to Mediterranean conditions in the summer, making it good for the boats and safe for all participants.

The venue for the event on shore is the Al Hamra Village, one of the most complete beach resorts within the UAE. It is built in a prime 5 million-sqm coastal area in Ras Al Khaimah around salt water lagoons, a 7,267yard Par 72 Championship Golf Course and its own 200 berth marina that caters for motor boats, yachts and inflatable’s from 10 feet to 90 feet in length. Plus there are almost 700 hotel rooms, restaurants and a mall on site. In addition, Ras Al Khaimah offers close to 3000 hotel rooms and is situated less than one hour north of Dubai and its international airport, where there are in excess of 30,000 hotel rooms available to visitors.

Facilities
The wide range of facilities located within Al Hamra Village will also be made available for the event, including a state of the art Convention Centre which will become a dedicated media centre, and a wide range of restaurants and bars, which will be utilised to offer catering and hospitality for team members, media and VIP guests.

All facilities can be easily accessed on foot, by car or by boat and are only a minute away from the island which will be the focal point for the event on shore.

The space for the team’s bases is located in a 22-hectare island within the Al Hamra Village lagoon. Alinghi arrived on October 10th 2009 to the venue site. The arrival of BMW Oracle Racing is still to be confirmed.

Ras Al Khaimah is one of the fastest growing economies in the Gulf. Aside from being an investment haven, the coastal emirate is also one of the region's favourite tourist destinations, featuring pristine beaches, majestic mountains, and a unique community where age-old traditions and modern life co-exist harmoniously.