It’s been nearly a century since The America's Cup yachting competition was held in New York Harbor, but May 6-8, 2016 you can find six international teams squaring off over the oldest international sporting trophy in the world. The globe’s best sailors and fastest boats will race amid the spectacular surroundings of lower Manhattan’s skyline. Battery Park City and the Brookfield Place Waterfront Plaza will be the center of activity, with a central event village, and thousands of spectators watching from shore and spectator boats. Practice racing goes on Friday, and then official races run both weekend days, 2pm to 3:30pm, with courses and the number of races determined by the weather.
Image: 2015 © Rob Tringali/All Rights Reserved
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series will see the home-crew ORACLE TEAM USA, the defending champion, fight off five top challengers from around the world. If you'd like to catch the event from the thick of things out on the water, Circle Line Sightseeing is the official and exclusive spectator cruise. They're offering two options for this special event: a spectator cruise and a VIP cruise. The spectator cruise ($199 pp, each day) will offer exclusive access to the race course that no other boats can, giving guests the opportunity to view the races as close up as possible, with the boat in premium front-and-center positioning. Food and beverages will be available. The VIP cruise ($299 pp, each day) has all the benefits of the spectator cruise, plus an open bar.
Boarding for both spectator and VIP cruises begins at 12:30pm, departing at 1pm. Cruises will return to Pier 83 at approximately 4pm.
Pier 83, W. 42nd St. at the Hudson, circleline42.com; Brookfield Place: 230 Vesey St. (nr. Fulton St.), 212-978-1698, brookfieldplaceny.com
