Kerala - Kochi   

Race village getting ready

KOCHI: A Kathakali troupe from Kochi enacted one of the popular stories from the Mahabharata on Sunday before a huge mass of sailing enthusiasts and visitors at the Alicante Race Village in Spain, the starting point of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The eight yachts (with crew from seven countries) competing in the race are expected to sail into Kochi [the sole stopover in South Asia] on December 3 and will lay anchored here for 10 days, for rest, recreation and to carry out repairs on the yachts.

Kerala Tourism and Cochin Port Trust are jointly readying a race village at the Wellingdon Island here for the yachters and guests. A spokesperson for the Kochi stopover of the race said cultural shows will be showcased at the Kerala Tourism pavilion at the Race Village in Alicante till October 11 when the race begins. The Volvo race is one of the most gruelling and hazardous sports events involving 70-foot yachts. The 88 crewmen would sail 68,500 km, enduring extreme conditions, with little sleep and living on dried food. Additionally, the crew members compete in in-port fleet racing in the stopover ports around the world.

A 10-day festival in Kochi will see a stage being set up for daily events, huge pavilions by Volvo and the sponsors, Volvo’s simulator to enable people to experience the feel of sailing and food courts serving global cuisines.

The Kochi stopover manager Malav Shroff said that the stopover would give Indians a chance to experience a premier sports event. “It’s the first time the race is coming to India, so it’s a great opportunity for everyone to get involved in this amazing experience.” The Race village and the Team Area will have a state-of-the-art media centre, to cater to the needs of hundreds of global and national media persons. The event would be beamed across 200 countries and also feature a live feed on the Internet.

The area will house the major offices of the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover, like the International Jury Office, Race Management Office, Events and Operations Office, Logistics Office as well as the media and accreditation offices. Besides the competing yachts and numerous other sailing craft, four major international luxury cruise vessels would land at Kochi during the stopover period. They are Legend of the Seas, Celebrity Quest, Seabourne Spirit and Nautica.

Thus, the race will attract 5,000 international tourists from these cruise liners. Entry to the Race Village will be free.

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