Does Bermuda really get the America’s Cup? That was the question repeated ad infinitum in the lead-up to one of the most anticipated weeks in the Island’s history — sporting or otherwise.

Among the biggest criticisms, or put-downs, was that the battle for the Auld Mug is sport for rich, white men.

Given the technological advances that have been made in the world’s oldest sporting contest and what is required to enter and compete in the long term, there is more than an element of truth to the “rich” theory. But what Bermuda proved on Friday, on Saturday and on Sunday is that sailing, like all sport, is truly colour-blind.

Put on a good show for us and you can bet your bottom dollar that we will be there in support and in appreciation, dressed to impress. And that is what happened.

The spectator numbers that were being thrown around as what would make the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Bermuda a success defied logic for a spell in early summer when ACBDA, the group charged with carrying the message to Bermudians, was perceived to be having an almighty struggle getting its point across.

Ten thousand was the ballpark figure — 8,000 locals and 2,000 visitors. “Good luck with that,” retorted the cynic. “You will never get that number.”

There have been many of those cynics since last December, when the America’s Cup Event Authority chose Bermuda over San Diego as the host venue for the 35th America’s Cup. But rather than firing back against them with “I told you so”, the job of those in the “can do” corner has to be to bring the disbelievers on board.

With more than 15,000 on land and water glued to the events of this past weekend, there are far fewer who need winning over than might have been presumed to be the case.

Flotillas the like of which have never been seen in Bermuda were as much stars of the show as were the world-class sailors. Jimmy Spithill, skipper of the “home boat”, Oracle Team USA, said that he had never seen such a big crowd, which meant Bermuda had comfortably outstripped Portsmouth and Gothenburg, who had hosted the first two World Series events at this preliminary stage of AC35.

British network BT Sport, to close its commentary of yesterday’s exhilarating races, said: “Bermuda proved to the world that they can put on quite a show.”

We knew this all along, didn’t we? As long as we could put aside differences and row in the same direction.

You see, Bermuda and the America’s Cup is not about politics. It is about reawakening and redefining the Bermuda brand; it is about putting people to work and putting smiles on faces; it is about camaraderie and pride.

That is not to say that we have no issues to be resolved, for there are plenty — some of them longstanding. But presenting a united front to the world at a time such as this is paramount if we are to maintain momentum through our 2016 gap year ahead of the arrival of the AC48s for the “real deal” in 2017.

The Progressive Labour Party has been accused of not being fully behind this project and of not using its resources to promote it among those for whom sailing is merely a reminder of a class divide. So, too, has this newspaper been accused, at times, of not doing its part.

But closer to the truth is that the Opposition, other than having the “misfortune” of not being in government when Sir Russell Coutts had his epiphany moment that Bermuda could host this great event, recognises this can be only good for the country.

Dennis Lister, the former sports minister, is known to have given his full backing recently to a well-informed employee of the ACEA. It is worth noting that he crucially withheld the nugget that he is a politician, but rather that he is a Bermudian who realises the possibilities.

Meanwhile, Wayne Furbert, whose job in Opposition is to shadow Grant Gibbons, the politician most fêted after the Bermuda bid swayed Coutts and Oracle owner Larry Ellison, was spotted this weekend doing his best impersonation of Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Titanic’, as he crowded the bowsprit of one of the thousand or more pleasure craft that adorned the Great Sound.

So, yes, this is less about politics, less about race and more about Bermuda getting back to being Bermuda. When our reputation was one of being welcoming and gracious, one of appreciating good sport, and one of saluting good entertainment.

Maxi Priest and Shaggy were a roaring hit on Saturday. Even in the rain. So, too, the local acts.

But what was more memorable along the area of Front Street known as the Fan Zone was that it attracted Bermudians and visitors from all walks of life, standing side by side, soaking up all the good that this Island has to offer.

And there is an abundance of good — if only we can stay out of our own way long enough for it to manifest.

So the ACBDA need not have worried that its targeted town hall meetings and attempted media blitz were not having the desired effect.

Bermuda really gets the America’s Cup. You bet we do.

It is just that sometimes we can be a little slow to the boil. But, much like the wooed Renée Zellweger in ‘Jerry Maguire’, you had us at “Hello”.