The sailing world’s eyes will once again be focused on Cape Town in December, after the Mother City was announced as an official stopover for the 2011/12Volvo Ocean Race.
This is the world’s premier offshore sailing race, in which 70 racing boats race around the world with the prevailing winds, crossing five oceans and visiting four continents. It is held every three years and takes about nine months to complete.
This year the race started in Alicante, Spain, in October 2011, with Cape Town as the next stop, before competitors sail to Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajaí in Brazil, Miami, Lisbon, Lorient and finish in Galway, Ireland in July 2012.
This is the eighth time that Cape Town is hosting this event, with the previous stopover in 2008 being credited with boosting the city’s profile as a premier leisure and events destination.
Over 30 000 international visitors linked to the race stayed in Cape Town overnight. It also generated an estimated total economic impact of R308 million for Cape Town and the Western Cape, and tourism destination marketing exposure for Cape Town estimated at R77.45 million. Local communities were also involved through volunteer programmes, internships, community days and a local craft exhibition.
Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Marketing, Councillor Grant Pascoe said the City has committed itself to making the Cape Town stopover a memorable experience for the participants, tourists, corporate visitors and media.
“This stopover has become an integral part of our focus to sustain and grow Cape Town’s sport tourism industry,” he said.
“Cape Town is proud to be the Host Port for the exciting and spectacular Volvo Ocean Race 2011 – 2012. Cape Town is a maritime city and growing events capital that has been awarded the Design Capital status for 2014. The Host Port status will ensure higher visitor numbers and provide destination marketing and economic benefits beyond the staging of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™,” said Pieter Cronjé, Director of Communication for the City of Cape Town.
Participants will be based at the VA Waterfront, where the in-port and pro-am racing ahead of leg two will take place.
“We are delighted that after a year of negotiations, Cape Town has once again been selected as the first port of call in this prestigious ocean race. As the past few stopovers have proved, the race is a superb platform to achieve business tourism and sporting objectives for Cape Town and the Western Cape” said Bruce Parker-Forsyth, CEO of The Volvo Ocean Race Cape Town Stopover and project management company Worldsport.
Cape Town also recently hosted a stopover for the Clipper Round the World yacht race.
