Bye bye, America's Cup

Oracle Team USA at the end of a race during the 35th America's Cup.

After five weeks of thrills and spills as the fastest yachts in the world raced one another, the 35th America's Cup is over. Regarded by many as the pinnacle of the sport, it brought an added dimension to the island during the past month.

A purpose-built 39-acre island was created to hold an event village where spectators could watch the action and enjoy live entertainment and other activities that came along with the Cup. Although it is the oldest sporting trophy in the world (the "Auld Mug" dates back to a challenge race in 1851) I have to admit that until a few years ago I only had the vaguest of ideas about what the America's Cup was. My faint recollection was from mentions I recall hearing while travelling in Western Australia in 1988, the year after Fremantle had hosted the event.

All that changed two years ago when the defenders Oracle Team USA decided to base themselves and the cup match in Bermuda.

One by one the teams started to relocate here and practice sailing on the Great Sound. Oracle led the way, and I admired how they conducted themselves - getting involved in the community, helping with charities, visiting schools and setting up educational opportunities around the sport, including two sailing programmes for young people.

With Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill, second from right, after the
Sir Stanley Burgess 5K road race in May 2016.

Oracle team members also showed up at public events and took part in non-sailing sporting activities. The Oracle team last year ran a relay formation in Bermuda's most famous race, the May 24 half marathon. And I can attest that skipper Jimmy Spithill was also a tenacious competitor in a 5K race a few weeks earlier. For three miles we engaged in a relentless tussle, never gaining more than a few metres' advantage before switching positions again. In the end, Spithill gained the upper hand and powered away to the finish. That taught me a lot about the "never give up" attitude of the man who had pulled off one of sport's greatest comebacks when he went from 8-1 down to win 9-8 in the previous America's Cup in 2013.

The America's Cup brought a two-year buzz to the island that reached a crescendo from late May until the final race on Monday, when challenger Emirates Team New Zealand completed an impressive 7-1 win against Oracle. Thousands of people made almost daily visits to the event village, while millions more around the world watched live TV coverage and highlights.

Meeting Jono 'The Bear' Macbeth, left, and Sir Ben Ainslie.

Bermuda put on a great show, with a smooth running operation, relaxed atmosphere and an event village that catered for young and old. The weekend before it all began, Heather and I met Sir Ben Ainslie and Jono Macbeth of the Land Rover BAR team at a promotional event. And we experienced the busy first day of the Cup - which under brilliant clear skies included the first set of races, an opening ceremony celebrating Bermuda's heritage, a short concert by Wyclif Jean, and stage appearances by the six teams from France, Britain, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand and the USA.

The event village from the media centre.

The event village was a microcosm of world society with its mixture of locals and the overseas visitors, and many decked out in replica jerseys and t-shirts of their favoured Cup team.
Other nations in the Youth Team America's Cup contest included homegrown Team BDA.

Bermuda's waters were filled by spectator boats, visiting yachts and superyachts, and numerous sailing events held in conjunction with the main attraction.

Ferries to and from Dockyard were invariably busy, particularly during the weekends of the America's Cup. Excitement and friendliness was present in abundance among friends and strangers. The event village included a children's play area, a fun educational tent where aspects of the sport were revealed in a "hands on" way, astro grass to relax on, bean bags, sunshade tables, and island-centric food and drink outlets.
Even if you could not get there in person, the racing drama and post-race press conference were broadcast worldwide on TV and the internet. It was a spectacle that lived up to and surpassed high expectations.

Fans greet Peter Burling, helmsman of Emirates Team New Zealand,
shortly after New Zealand won the America's Cup on Monday.

Now that it has finished and everything is being packed up and shipped away, the island seems a little emptier. But there remains a legacy of inspiration and heightened aspirations.

Bermuda salutes all the teams as they depart, but particularly Oracle Team USA who adopted the island as their home these past two years. To all the teams and visitors: "Fair winds and following seas."

BELOW: A short flavour of the America's Cup in this video from the organisation as it thanked Bermuda for hosting the 35th edition.