Race 2008-09

For the first time in the event’s history, the Volvo Ocean Race introduces significant changes to the race format, and will visit new ports along a new route that includes stopovers in the middle-east, India and Asia.

Kochi, Aug. 27 Kochi will be spruced up by November to host the first India stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race, scheduled to be held at the Cochin Port during December 3-13. This was decided in a meeting convened by Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the Minister for Home, Vigilance and Tourism on Tuesday.
As the stopover event is going to attract thousands of domestic and international tourists and international media, it is very important that the city should wear a new look, particularly with good roads, proper traffic and parking system, improved garbage disposal to ensure cleanliness on the roads and public places, standardised signage, clean and pollution free water bodies, improved water transport facility and customer friendly auto/taxi system.
All concerned departments have been directed to take necessary steps in this direction. It has also been decided to convene a meeting at the level of Mayor on September 3 with all concerned departments and officials to finalise the action plan. The Tourism Minister will convene a meeting of public representatives and officials on September 20 at Kochi and review the progress of various arrangements.
The meeting was attended by Dr V. Venu, Secretary, Tourism; Prof Mercy Williams, Mayor of Kochi; Mr Cyril C. George, Secretary, Cochin Port Trust; Mr Manoj Abraham, Commissioner of Police; Mr Manoj Joshi, MD, KSIDC; Mr K.G. Mohanlal, MD, KTDC; Ms K.N. Raji, Deputy Collector, Ernakulam; Mr I.G. Chandrababu, Secretary, DTPC, Ernakulam; Mr Dinesh Kumar, Manager Operations, CIAL and other senior officers from the State Government.

Come December 3, 2008, Kochi will welcome the Volvo Ocean Racers to its shores. The Volvo Ocean Race, dubbed the most prestigious and spectacular round the world marathon ocean yacht racing competition, will for the first time in its 35 year history stop over in India. And that too at Kochi. Aiming to showcase India and Kerala as a hot vacation spot, the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) and the Kerala Tourism Department have joined hands and are all set to roll out the red carpet.
The Volvo Ocean Race will call on Kochi for a stopover of 10 days from December 3 to 13, 2008, before it sets sail to Singapore. The Volvo Ocean Race, which will begin its round-the-world marathon sailing in October 2008 and cover more than 39,000 nautical miles, visiting 11 ports across the world would set sail from Alicante in Spain. It would stop over at Cape Town, Kochi, Qingdao in China, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Goteborg and Stockholm, before reaching the finishing line at St.Petersburg, says the CPT. Seven teams drawn from different countries of the world like the US, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Holland, Sweden and Spain have already confirmed their participation in the Volvo Ocean Race. Two more are expected to join the line-up.