«The story of the Sardinian stage of the America's Cup is taking on grotesque aspects. Many commentators have so far overlooked the fact that it is 6.1 million euros (5 million plus VAT): public money destined, following the vote of the Regional Council, to finance a project to promote the "Destination Sardinia"» . The regional councilor for Tourism, Gianni Chessa, breaks the silence and gives his version on the development of relations with the Ace company (organizer of the worldwide regatta), which led to the clash with the Region, with the consequent announcement of definancing and cancellation of the Cagliari event. Further news: the proposal to mend the tear arrives.
Correspondence and exchanges of communications between Ace and the regional offices are circulating in recent days, from which a flurry of doubts has emerged from the councilorship about the real impact on Sardinia's image, in exchange for the six million euros. Perplexities translated into numerous questions, such as: "Will the photographs be taken by professionals?". An anomalous pique that led the organizers to focus on Vilanova, in Spain.
«In the month of August 2022», Chessa reconstructs, «I met, in the department, together with the general manager Angela Porcu, and the director of the Marketing service, Riccardo Masiello, the representatives of Team New Zealand, Grant Dalton and Matteo De Nora, accompanied by the lawyer Stefano Ballero and by Max Sirena of Luna Rossa, who proposed Cagliari as the host venue for the preliminary event (scheduled for October 2023) as part of the preparation for the America's Cup 2024».
Here is a crucial passage from the version: «On that occasion there was talk of the "first European stage", so much so that (on 16 September 2022), the lawyer Ballero, appointed by the Ace Barcellona company, wrote to me referring to the "most important opportunity for the teams to discuss before the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona in 2024" and the Department's Marketing service, writing (on 6 March 2023) to the Ace and to the lawyer Ballero, identified the event, in object of the Pec, as "the first stage of the Initial America's Cup Preliminary Regatta (Iacpr)"».
The counterpart on the point tells a different story: in Cagliari, Dalton claims, the first match had not been secured. But one of the preparatory competitions. The commissioner, on the other hand, aimed for maximum visibility of the debut which, he claims, "was also reaffirmed in a second Pec (on 17 March 2023) without ever receiving any denial on the concept of" first stage "".
The commissioner also discusses the barrage of requests for clarification on the media repercussions for Sardinia: «The two certified emails sent by the Marketing service represented a reminder to send the necessary documentation: a detailed project proposal for the promotion of the Sardinia destination, containing the activities to be carried out and the relative media and economic valorisation as well as the time schedule of the activities and expenses».
Documentation which, «despite the wide willingness to cooperate shown by the offices of the councillorship, to date appears to be insufficient, in particular that referring to the media impact, where, for example, the television mastheads that should broadcast the regatta are not indicated. In fact, it should not be forgotten that it is public money managed by a public administration which acts according to the procedure and the rules established by law».
«Regarding the meeting with “a well-known local events company” and the consequent “agreement on the way forward”, of which Grant Dalton wrote in his Pec of April 3 (in response to my communication of March 31) », continues the exponent of the council Solinas, «it is the first time that this decision to entrust the organization to a third company has been communicated to the Region».
Chessa goes on to «reiterate my surprise and disappointment in having learned exclusively from the press (on 19 March) that, next September, there will be a preliminary regatta in Spain at Vilanova. Above all because the interest shown by the Region was mainly due to the hypothesis of a "first European stage". An assessment which also determined the amount of funding to be made available to the tourist promotion event, albeit subject to the subsequent verification by a company of certification (advisor), which will be charged by the Region for the economic evaluation of the promotional activity carried out by the organizers and its adequacy in terms of the media and economic impact of the actions carried out».
The long note concludes with an opening towards the recovery of the interrupted dialogue: «The Region strongly believes in sports tourism as a fundamental tool for the promotion of Sardinia, therefore, although some fundamental steps are still to be completed and clarified, I want to hope that an agreement can be found with the organizing company to adequately realize and valorise the appointment in Cagliari, of course», is the clarification, «in compliance with the rules and regulations and with the completion of the documentation certifying the adequacy of the financing. No step back, but a gesture of responsibility ».
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)