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Cape Town - The racetrack for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race, due to start from Alicante in Spain in 2011, is now set and the first port of call will be Cape Town, South Africa, making its eighth appearance as host to the race.
VIDEO: Volvo Ocean Race - Cape Town Departure 2008
This marks the beginning of the port announcement process for the 2011-12 Ocean Race and the rest of the course around the world will be revealed before the end of March.
The race is the only professional sailing event that visits ports around the world and it is a delicate balance to select a track that is not only challenging to sail, but presents an attractive business case for potential sponsors and partners for both the race and the competing teams.
"We have received port bids from many different cities, each with their own cultures, specialities and challenges," said race chief executive Knut Frostad.
"We have taken our time to evaluate carefully over 80 bids from ports around the world who wanted to host the event, before making our decisions.As we continue to improve and lift the bar for our stopovers, it is great to have Cape Town onboard sharing the same vision and ambitions."
Leg one, at 6 500 nautical miles, is one of the longest in the race and historically the team that wins this leg has gone on to claim the victor’s trophy.
The V&A Waterfront will be a perfect place for shore crews to prepare the boats for the next test in the race.
The stopover, however, will allow little time for rest. There will be a full schedule of sailing ahead of the start of leg two, including the important in-port racing, which counts towards the overall winner's trophy, as well as pro-am racing.
The European ports of call for the race in 2012, including the finish port, will be the next to be announced and the entire route is set to be revealed before the end of March.
