NEW: RI Delegation Traveling to San Diego to Prepare for America’s Cup
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Rhode Island officials will be traveling to San Diego, CA this week to gain a first-hand perspective on what the state will need to do to prepare for hosting the final stop of the new America’s Cup World Series taking place in Newport from June 23 to July 1, 2012.
Three members of Governor Chafee’s Cabinet – all of whom helped the Administration successfully negotiate to bring America’s Cup racing back to Rhode Island – will make the trip this week. Keith Stokes, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), Janet Coit, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and Richard Licht, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Administration (DOA) will be in San Diego from Tuesday, Nov. 15 to Thursday, Nov. 17.
Leading up to the America’s Cup finals in 2013, San Diego is hosting the third leg of the 2011-2012 AC45 World Series professional circuit from Nov. 12 – Nov. 20, 2011.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe Rhode Island delegation will meet with America’s Cup and San Diego officials to get insight into the many infrastructure and logistical preparations and aspects of race operations involved in an event of this magnitude.
To help further accelerate Rhode Island’s America’s Cup preparations, the delegation will focus on examining all the components of this multifaceted international sporting event, including waterside logistics - like race team facilities, spectator viewing areas and dockage – as well as public transportation, parking, public safety, hospitality, marketing and promotion, corporate sponsorship and media opportunities.
“The America’s Cup races in San Diego offer Rhode Island a unique opportunity to observe how such an event is successfully managed,” Governor Chafee said. “Although circumstances warrant that I stay in Rhode Island, I look forward to hearing from Directors Coit, Licht, and Stokes about what they learned and how San Diego’s experience can help Rhode Island plan an exciting and successful America’s Cup event here.”
“We thank the City of San Diego and the America’s Cup Event Authority for inviting us to come and see for ourselves and get an up-close feel for what it will take to host one of the most spectacular sporting events in the world. The AC World Series in Newport will be bigger than any other America’s Cup race that has ever taken place in Rhode Island, so getting a first-hand understanding of how another city has handled infrastructure preparations and event-day logistics is vital to making it a success here,” said Stokes.
“This first-hand look at the America’s Cup races in San Diego will provide invaluable information as we prepare here to host an AC World Series event at Fort Adams State Park next June. Seeing the facilities in California will be a big help to as we plan the set-up and layout in Rhode island, and look forward to welcoming this incredible international sporting event to Newport,” said Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit.
“Like San Diego, Newport is a world-class venue for a world-class event and as the America’s Cup excitement builds in Rhode Island, we need to ensure that we are taking all the necessary steps and learning as much as we can about all the planning needs that will help us host a successful event on a global stage. This visit to San Diego is an invaluable opportunity to get a nut and bolts preview of the event and develop ideas of what will work best in Rhode Island,” said Licht.
