As the nineteenth century gently clicked over to the twentieth century, Cardiff was recognised as the greatest sea port in the world. Driven by the world’s insatiable demand for iron and coal, Cardiff was the coastal outlet for the produce of the coal from the valley coal mines and the iron and steel that was being produced in the area. Those days are now long gone, but showing that there is life in the old dog yet, Cardiff is basking in the news that it has been chosen as a stopping off point in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017/18.
Welsh Sailing chief executive Steven Morgan has welcomed the news, saying ““This is great news for Wales and Cardiff’s reputation for hosting major sailing events, on the back of the Extreme 40’s three year agreement to run their Grand Prix event in Cardiff Bay,” said Morgan.
“With work about to start at Pwllheli on their £8.3 million academy and events centre, along with this announcement, it all adds to our aspiration that Wales will become one of the best places in the world to be a sailor and that we are a destination of choice for major sailing events.
 |
| The Volvo Ocean Race will come to Cardiff in 2017/18 |
This is something of a coup for the maritime city as the last time that Britain hosted a stopover was in 2005/06 in Portsmouth, so it is the best part of a decade since the event occurred. It is perhaps appropriate that Portsmouth was the last venue, as it was here, in 1973 that the event began life as the Whitbread Round The World Race. It moved its headquarters from England to its new home in Alicante, Spain in 2010
So far, eight ports have been unveiled on the route for the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2014-15. They are Alicante (Spain), Recife (Brazil), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajaí (Brazil), Newport, Rhode Island (United States), Lisbon (Portugal) and Gothenburg (Sweden), where the race will finish.
Race organisers will announce the remaining ports for the 2014-15 Race over the coming weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment