I met up with a mate who was sailing on BMW Oracle. We were getting a guided tour of the compound when a crew member came up saying they were two short for the spectator boat and we could go out and watch the racing. Turned out it was Oracle's VIP boat! The one piece of advice we got: "act like you own it and don't say no to anything." So that's exactly what we did.
The Moët Champagne flowed freely. If that wasn't your taste, the bar staff could create anything you wished. The wait staff wondered around with trays of amazing high class, restaurant-quality food to some of the highest placed VIPs in the whole Oracle campaign. I mean, we sat chatting to Henri from Henri Lloyd. That guy is a cool old dude.
We had spent the few days before this watching the America's Cup racing from the big screens in the village. Coming from Australia, this was great as we struggle to see any sort of coverage at all. The vibe was amazing, especially when the Spanish got up over Team New Zealand. But to actually be on the water, following the boats around was unbelievable. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure it was real.
Oh, did I mention that the boat was 32m long!! However, even this seemed small when we cruised passed Larry Ellison's floating hotel.
The day would have been even better it Oracle had won, but we just drowned our sorrows in more of Larry's bubbly. We got out of there though before the team debriefing, that would have been ugly. We took up an invitation we had received for a BBQ on a 92ft yacht docked outside Victory Challenge's compound.
We definitely got to see how the other half live and it was pretty cool. I am glad though that we didn't spend our whole America's Cup experience like it. The amount of money is disgusting, yet you still can't buy the Cup. Money doesn't get you team work and money doesn't get the wind gods to smile on you.
Quick Tips:
Eat some paella. I was told it actually originated in Valencia so it is meant to be the best.
Learn some Spanish. It is fairly easy to get by, but it would just make things just that little bit smoother.
Check out the America's Cup circus. The Spanish have definitely embraced this event.Best Way To Get Around:
The bus was very easy to use when you knew the right number. Most buses leave every 10-12 minutes and are fairly cheap. €1.15 to the beach/America's Cup port from Colon. The bus drivers understand a little English.
DON'T expect to get a taxi quickly at night. If they are empty, they often don't stop and if you ring up to book they tell you "sorry, very busy, you just wait."