Village starts to take shape on Southsea Common ahead of prestigious America's Cup

The sailing event takes place on Southsea seafront from Thursday until Sunday.

And so far, the grandstand has gone up and the VIP stand is under construction.

Event organiser Leslie Greenhalgh said: ‘We are really excited – the build is under way and there’s a real buzz in the city.

‘We’re delighted there’s been such a positive response and that there are a huge number of ticket holders who are planning on coming along.

‘We want as many people as possible to come and enjoy the race. The weather is great and we are hoping that it stays this way. Our 3,000-seater grandstand has been built and it looks great. The VIP stand is being built at the moment, and the Love Southsea marketplace is coming along nicely.

‘We are working to hard to get it ready – and to take care of the ground and the grass.

‘It is looking fantastic.’

Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond said she was looking forward to the event.

She said: ‘The America’s Cup is a great opportunity to showcase Portsmouth and our ability to host world-class events.

‘As a keen sailor myself, it is really exciting to see the boats racing so close to the shore.

‘The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and I will be joining locals in welcoming the world to Portsmouth this weekend.’

Jeeves Williams, art director for Love Southsea, which is organising the market featuring a wide range of independent traders, said the market will be ‘one to see’.

‘We’re going to town on the décor of our tent,’ he said.

‘So the market in itself will be a sight not to be missed — look out for the huge vintage marquee.’

The market will be in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Fanzone, spanning Castle Field, the West Battery Gardens around Southsea Bandstand, and parts of Southsea Common around the skatepark.

The world’s fastest foiling boats will be racing just metres away from the Southsea shoreline, with the world’s best sailors fighting it out in short sharp races as Land Rover BAR attempts to bring the America’s Cup to Britain for the first time.

For more, and to book your tickets, go to lvacwsportsmouth.com/

Big crowds expected to cheer on team

THOUSANDS of visitors are expected to watch the America’s Cup this weekend.

The ticketed race village promises close-up action and opportunities to hear from the teams, a tech-zone, skate park demonstrations and a range of food and drink concessions.

Visitors will need a ticket to get into the area around the Bandstand, Castle Field and the Skate Park.

The promenade between Blue Reef and Pyramids is also within the ticketed race village and will be closed 8am until 8pm from Friday until Sunday.

Southsea Common will be unrestricted and residents are encouraged to cheer on the home team, Land Rover BAR. Picnics are welcome and there will be temporary toilets and a limited number of concessions.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Restrictions of Flying are in place for unmanned aerial vehicles, such as drones, so these are not allowed within a three-mile exclusion zone centred on the race village.

The council’s park and ride will run every 10 minutes with buses stopping in the city centre and The Hard Interchange. There is a separate event park and ride service from Lakeside, which stops at Gunwharf and the race village.