SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Just a month ago, the America’s Cup “village” along San Francisco’s waterfront had few visitors.
Its trendy, temporary bars often had more staff than patrons and retail workers at souvenir shops stood behind silent cash registers as sailing’s most prestigious competition got off to a desultory start with single-competitor “races” that drew little interest.
Then Oracle Team USA launched one of the greatest comebacks in the sport’s history. On Wednesday, tens of thousands of fans are expected to line up along the city’s waterfront and find vantage points from the city’s many hills to watch the winner-take-all final race.
Economists say the event will still fall far short of the $1 billion economic boon first predicted, but that the America’s Cup will still end up an economic success.
