The Cup finished in early July; with both skippers and 58.5% of the two crews, New Zealand scores either way, but otherwise we'd prefer not to talk about the result.
The place is pretty empty. There's space for at least 150 large yachts in the North Marina alone (where we are), but there's less than 30. We're not the smallest, but we're not far off. There's Dutch, German, French, Italian, American and one we think is Kiwi. Some of the boats are shut up, their owners obviously elsewhere after the excitement. So it's rather eerie, the stillness surrounded by all these brand new facilities.
Speaking of facilities, the toilets and showers must have been overwhelmed when the place was full. At the moment, only one of each is open. Given the scale of the project, these are not brilliant. The office staff are slightly erratic in their opening hours: 0900 was well after 1000 on Saturday, but departure is prompt at 1900. Not surprising perhaps, given the uncertain future.
To some extent, this is nitpicking. The port as a whole is a huge achievement, built in just three years on underused docks, incorporating a new canal nearly a kilometre long, massive amounts of new landscaping, the lovely Veles y vents (sails and winds) building. If the use and quality of these spaces is kept up, it will have been an amazing regeneration project.
At the moment, as the post on pilotage says, there's been no decision about the future of the marina. If the Spanish government need some help working on what to do, we know a very good regeneration strategist with extensive understanding of how the leisure marine sector works, and lots of experience with complicated partnerships. As a freebie to start with: decide who's managing it, and start selling winter berths. Otherwise a wonderful centre which could be such an impetus for yachting (racing and cruising) will become another slightly run-down area full of the little sport fishing boats that are so popular all over Spain.