Volvo Ocean Race – the countdown to Cardiff begins!

On Sunday 22 October, the Volvo Ocean Race fleet will depart from Alicante, Spain, on a race around the world, visiting 12 cities. For the first time in its history, the race will stop in Cardiff from 27 May to 10 June 2018 for a two-week free event in the Bay.
Visitors to the event will be able to explore the Race Village, find out more about the ultimate ocean marathon in the Volvo Ocean Race cinema, take a photograph with the iconic trophy and participate in a range of action-packed activities.
The festival will also have a Welsh flavour, with locally-sourced food and drink on offer – from popular street food vendors to bars serving real ale, alongside live music sessions on the waterfront.
More importantly, it will provide an opportunity to show support to the teams bold enough to compete in the world’s most challenging oceans for the ultimate sporting prize. So put it in your diary now, it’s going to be too good to miss!
5 things you need to know about the Volvo Ocean Race
1. The Volvo Ocean Race began in 1973, then called the Whitbread Round the World Race. It’s now established as one of the big three sailing events in the world, alongside the America’s Cup and the Olympic Games.
2. It’s the ultimate ocean marathon, across the world’s toughest oceans, covering a distance of 46,000 nautical miles over eight months.
3. Over four decades it’s kept an almost mythical hold over some of the greatest ever sailors. To win it becomes an obsession. The sailors endure extreme conditions and since the race began, five have tragically been lost at sea.
4. There are over 1,000 people involved in the race organisation, and two identical ‘Race Village kits’, made up of the event infrastructure that leapfrog around the world to each host city.
5. During the 2017-18 race, the fleet will blast across the North Atlantic from Newport Rhode Island on the transatlantic leg to Cardiff, which is worth double points. It’ll be the first time the race returns to British shores in 12 years.
Keep up-to-date with all the action, as this incredible nine-month adventure unfolds, by downloading the Volvo Ocean Race app.
For more information, visit www.volvooceanracecardiff.com.