Celebrations are in full swing at the Alicante Race Village with hundreds of sailing fans and landlubbers alike filing into the Puerto de Salida for this evening’s official opening ceremony.
It is the first time ever that team zones have been open to the public, with curious onlookers able to pay close attention to the state-of-the-art Volvo Open 70s that will take on the 39,000 nautical mile Everest of the ocean.
Anticipation is building for the arrival of the six Volvo Ocean Race teams and their crewmen, who will receive a rock-star like welcome when they’re introduced to their fans.
A representative from each team will offer a unique insight into the years of preparation behind their sailing campaign and their hopes for the nine-month ocean race during a series of Q+As.
Team mascots will also make their debut tonight with PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG Propulsion’s Marmo and Volvo Ocean Race’s Keep the Oceans Clean’s Wisdom set to take to the stage.
Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones tribute band has been warming up the crowd with their first of two sets tonight.
But the piece de resistance is a huge fireworks display that will bring the skies over Alicante alight with bursts of bright colours at 2200 local time.
The opening is yet another major milestone in the journey toward the start of the world’s toughest ocean race. The race will kick off with the first In-Port Race on October 29, ahead of a 6,500 nautical mile sprint to Cape Town, South Africa on November 5.
The Alicante Race Village is free to enter and opens from 100 to 0030 from Sunday to Thursday, with a later closing time of 0130 on Fridays and Saturdays.
The village is 40,000 square metres dedicated to entertainment with a programme brimming with concerts, shows, exhibitions, sailing clinics, rides, fireworks and restaurants.
It is also home to the Volvo Ocean Race Experience, an interactive attraction designed to suck landlubbers into the world of a Volvo Ocean Race sailor through its 3D cinema, simulator and winch grinding challenge.
During the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race more than 930,000 spectators visited the Alicante Race Village.
From : Volvo Ocean Race
Credit : I. Roman / VOR
It is the first time ever that team zones have been open to the public, with curious onlookers able to pay close attention to the state-of-the-art Volvo Open 70s that will take on the 39,000 nautical mile Everest of the ocean.
Anticipation is building for the arrival of the six Volvo Ocean Race teams and their crewmen, who will receive a rock-star like welcome when they’re introduced to their fans.
A representative from each team will offer a unique insight into the years of preparation behind their sailing campaign and their hopes for the nine-month ocean race during a series of Q+As.
Team mascots will also make their debut tonight with PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG Propulsion’s Marmo and Volvo Ocean Race’s Keep the Oceans Clean’s Wisdom set to take to the stage.
Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones tribute band has been warming up the crowd with their first of two sets tonight.
But the piece de resistance is a huge fireworks display that will bring the skies over Alicante alight with bursts of bright colours at 2200 local time.
The opening is yet another major milestone in the journey toward the start of the world’s toughest ocean race. The race will kick off with the first In-Port Race on October 29, ahead of a 6,500 nautical mile sprint to Cape Town, South Africa on November 5.
The Alicante Race Village is free to enter and opens from 100 to 0030 from Sunday to Thursday, with a later closing time of 0130 on Fridays and Saturdays.
The village is 40,000 square metres dedicated to entertainment with a programme brimming with concerts, shows, exhibitions, sailing clinics, rides, fireworks and restaurants.
It is also home to the Volvo Ocean Race Experience, an interactive attraction designed to suck landlubbers into the world of a Volvo Ocean Race sailor through its 3D cinema, simulator and winch grinding challenge.
During the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race more than 930,000 spectators visited the Alicante Race Village.
From : Volvo Ocean Race
