Dear Bermuda,

One year on from the memorable weekend that etched America’s Cup celebrations in the hearts and minds of Bermuda’s people, we are pleased to celebrate the successes of America’s Cup preparations to-date and to share details of the planning process and deliverables for the months to come.

Only 216 days remain until the 35th America’s Cup events begin in Bermuda, this time in a month-long affair of celebrities, yacht races, superyachts and thousands of visitors to our shores.

Starting the week of Bermuda Day 2017, it’s a tsunami of excitement and business opportunities that we’ve had 2½ years to prepare for. It is the ACBDA’s job to ensure that Bermuda, our community and every one of us as individuals are ready for what is to come. Ready and excited!

The Royal Gazette has committed to publishing this special feature of America’s Cup highlights every Saturday for the next few months as a community service. As Bermuda’s largest news publisher, they are interested in keeping the public informed on all things America’s Cup.

You’ll hear from the teams and will be brought up to speed on the meticulous planning and preparation that is going on “behind the scenes”. So much has already been done by hundreds of quiet achievers, many of them a formidable force of committee members, each volunteering their time, expertise, connections and effort.

In the next few weeks you’ll meet each committee and learn who’s working in the background as we count down the days to Bermuda being on the world stage. There are still hundreds of opportunities to jump onboard, which you’ll read and hear more about over the coming weeks.

We can expect our hotels to be full and locals to rent space in their homes, as well as hundreds of visitors to arrive by air, cruise ship, superyacht and yacht for this spectacular global sporting phenomena that will be televised to millions across the world.

In future weeks you’ll read about the local business opportunities arising from this event and more importantly how you can tap into those.

A show of this magnitude naturally requires local service providers to meet the needs of visitors, and Bermuda’s America’s Cup success will depend largely on us, the locals delivering service to the levels of excellence that will be expected by those visiting.

For those who are not business owners and others who are not in the service industry kept busy with all the extra work, there is always a chance to get up close and personal by volunteering in different areas of interest — be it hospitality, media, transport, reporting and the list goes on. The chance to be a part of a world-class international event is rare and Bermuda residents will have the first option to be front and centre as First Mate volunteers.

America’s Cup Bermuda Ltd is the company that was formed when Bermuda won the bid to host the cup.

A small team of ten employees and a much larger group of volunteer committee members are all who are working to deliver on Bermuda’s commitments and to exceed the expectations of the international clients who are focused our way.

We are keen to hear from you with any questions you may have. Contact us directly at info@acbda.bm. Frequently asked questions are also answered on our website at www.acbda.bm/faq.

The road to June 2017 is a road to many improvements for Bermuda that you will see unfold in the coming months. We are pleased to have you onboard for this exciting journey that will see us all standing proud at what has been accomplished, and for the life-changing stories and the history-making moments we will witness along the way.

America’s Cup Bermuda Ltd