Next July 2012 all of the worlds attention will be brought to Galway as the final to the latest running of the Volvo Ocean Race will play out in front of billions worldwide. For sailing enthusiasts, competitors and spectators alike this will be an event not to be missed.
The world-cup of the sailing world, this globally televised and world famous sailing event is run every three years testing the wits and endurance of the worlds’ best yachtsmen. The race is run over 9 months covering over 30,000 miles of the worlds most treacherous and deadly oceans, with participants stopping briefly in some of the worlds designated main ports en route to the finish line.
Formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, it was started in 1972 by original sponsors Whitbread in England as a race to mark the exploits of the old seafaring pioneers who developed trade routes whilst battling through the worlds ocean over the centuries. That tough and pioneering spirit of old is still carried on in this gruelling and dangerous race. For although the yachts may be of the most modern standards using space age technology, the hard conditions that the old sailors endured still exists, making this race a test of human endeavour and toughness.
Now called the Volvo Ocean Race it is one of the toughest trials around for sailors and yachtsmen, indeed any sportsman. Through nine gruelling months, competitors battle the volatile and dangerous waters of the worlds oceans, sometimes surviving on only freeze dried food and desalinated water, endure extreme weather conditions on different continents, and risk life and limb manning some of the most expensive and innovative examples of yachts available today to claim this pinnacle of sailing competitions.
The race starts off from a European destination in early October circumnavigating the globe before finishing the following July. While conditions out in the seas are extreme, inland in the ports of call, the atmosphere is of a different kind with excitement and glamour the order of the day. From the shorelines of the stopover ports visitors can take in the action as each competitor dashes to shores in the In-Port races marking different event stages whilst scoring crucial race points.
At the last running of the race back in 2008-2009 Galway was one of the races many stopover ports, with visitors getting a chance to catch a glimpse of the action as it unfolded out in the ocean. This time however it has the distinction of being the setting for the final which will be watched by billions around the globe, adding a welcome few days of glamour and excitement inland with the eyes of the world focusing on the action racing in from the Atlantic.
The upcoming 2011-12 race will run over 39,000 miles taking in 8 stopover ports over 5 continents crossing 4 of the worlds’ main oceans. From the official start in Alicante in Spain they will head to the east taking in ports in countries such as Africa (Cape Town), Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi), China (Sanya), New Zealand (Auckland), South America (around Cape Horn and the port of Itajai in Brazil), North America (Miami) and back to Europe via Lisbon (Portugal) and then the Lorient (Italy) before finishing in Galway Bay in Ireland.
While for the competitors it is a chance to test their skills for their place in sailing history, for the ports of call and the spectators it offers a few days of excitement and spectacle. The event will add much needed glamour, occasion and international flair to the vibrant city of Galway with the live action of the final In-Port race, the crowning of the champion and the spectacular closing ceremony.
For those of you visiting Galway next summer it is a one off event that is not to be missed whether you are a sailing fan or not.
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