America' Cup: Proposal for Cup bases to move to Cork dockland rejuvenation site
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World NZ 24 Nov 10:04 GMT
24 November 2021
Looking down the River Lee, Cork, with the proposed Race Village area on the right © Google Earth
Irish media are reporting that America's Cup bases are relocating to use publicly owned land at Tivoli Docks, rather than the initial proposal for upgrading a private dockyard in Cobh.
The Irish Examiner says the new proposal would save the State around E80million in costs. But it will more than double the tow-out distance to the race area, with a tow of almost 12nm each way, compared to 4.5nm each way from the previous location in a private shipyard at Cobh on the edge of Cork Harbour. The longest tow in Auckland to Course E was 9nm.
The claim is that the new location saves €77million in costs seems to be more of the muddled accounting that put a price tag on the initial deal of up to €600million.
By comparison, the Event cost in Auckland was €27.6million, and the legacy use infrastructure development was €73.7million. Bermuda venue for the 2017 America's Cup had an event cost of €58million.
Images of the development show the race village set up at Kennedy Quay and the team bases at Tivoli Docks, which form part of a working port on an estuary, the River Lee. The area has a greater tidal range than Auckland.
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