Middletown Resident Leads America’s Cup World Series Host Committee

Brad Read, executive director of , and a longtime Middletown resident, was recently named by Gov. Lincoln Chafee as the chairman of the America’s Cup World Series Host Committee. The committee is charged with coordinating Rhode Island’s support and logistics for the sailing event, scheduled to take place in Newport, June 23 to July 1, 2012.

“It’s an honor, and I thank Gov. Chafee for thinking I can have an impact on this event,” said Read, who will continue in his position at Sail Newport, while also taking on this crucial volunteer role. As chair of the committee, Read will work with representatives from key organizations, including the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, the Rhode Island State Yachting Commission, the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, several visitor’s bureaus, and local town governments.

Although much of the focus for the event will fall on Newport—the 10-12 sailing syndicates who will be competing will be based out of , and sailing will take place off Castle Hill—Read said there is a huge role for Middletown and other towns to play. “This isn’t just a Newport event, absolutely it is a Rhode Island event,” said Read. “Aquidneck Island and Jamestown will bear a lot of the load. Hotels will be full, restaurants and other retail businesses will be busy. It will be good, although frustrating at times for the local residents.”

Read said he plans to give a briefing about the event to Middletown’s Town Council in January, as well as the councils of Newport, Portsmouth, and Jamestown.

As for progress already underway, Read said that infrastructure improvements at Fort Adams State Park to facilitate the America’s Cup Village—as the area where the syndicates will be based and docked is called—are already in progress, led by Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management.

In addition, the Host Committee’s subcommittee for Marine Affairs is already coordinating with America’s Cup Race Management representatives, according to Read, to determine where the boats will be docked at Alofsin Piers. “Marine Affairs is specifically responsible for how the waterway will be managed during the event,” said Read, who noted that members of that subcommittee include Newport’s harbormaster, and representatives from marine pilots associations, and the local Coast Guard and Fire Department.

“The easy part of a regatta is when the boats are actually on the water, sailing,” said Read. “The hard part is all the logistics.”

Read noted that a big challenge will be transportation for spectators, and his committee is looking at the way that the 2006 LPGA U.S. Women’s Open Championship was handled when it was held at Newport Country Club. “They made arrangements for remote parking at St. Georges, Middletown High School, and Gaudet,” said Read, “and we will be looking at that model.”

The America’s Cup World Series race marks a return of America’s Cup sailing to Newport, after an absence of more than 25 years. The last America’s Cup competition was held in Newport in September 1983, when Australia won the Cup and the right to hold the event in another place. Since that time, AC racing has been held in Australia, New Zealand, San Diego, Spain, and other locations. The AC World Series takes place at various venues in 2012 and 2013, leading up to the two final competitions, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America’s Cup Match, both of which take place in San Francisco, in July-September 2013.