Kochi by playing host to the Volvo Ocean Race 2008 has joined the celebrity league of a selected few countries. The Volvo race is the world’s most prestigious offshore round the world yacht race, and is touted as the most challenging team-sporting event in the genre of ocean race and Kochi is the only port of call in India, making it all the more special to this city.
The seven yachts taking part in the race will reach Kochi in December 2008 from Cape Town and will stay from December 3 to 13, for 10 days in its waters, before starting leg three to Sentosa Island in Singapore. A race village spread over 2.5 acres will be set up near the BTP berth at Willingdon Island. Cochin Port Trust plays host to the esteemed India Stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race, considered to be the ultimate in extreme adventure sport.
Volvo Ocean Race will be viewed by over 1.8 billion television viewers in over 180 different countries, which puts the Volvo Ocean Race in the league of the 20 largest sports events in terms of global media coverage, at par with the World Soccer Championships and the Olympic Games.
A fund of rupees 30 crores is allocated for the infrastructure development at Willingdon Island to ensure a smooth conduct of the event. The 600 square meter exhibition pavilion will be one of the top notch attractions of this Stopover period. Food courts serving an array of international cuisines will be yet another attraction of the Cochin leg of Volvo race. Many business magnates such as Erricson, and Puma would be sponsoring.
The Race Village and the Team Area in the Port premises will have a media center with all modern communication facilities to cater to scores of national and international media personnel from print and digital media.
A few Olympic gold medalists in yachting, participating in the event, would add specks of glamour to this event. Kerala Tourism Department and other bodies including the Yachting Association of India will be in charge of the publicity of this event to make it a big success.
The busy Cochin shipping port is one of India’s foremost tourist destinations and the Volvo race stopover would bring a further impetus to the tourism prospects of Kochi in particular and the State of Kerala in general. The Kerala State Tourism Department is cashing on the popularity of this event which is expected to draw thousands of tourists from far and wide that will usher in an economic boom this tourist season.
Volvo race is befitting tribute to the impeccable seafaring legacy of Kochi that dates back to hundreds of years when spices were traded through the sea routes of Kochi by the Portuguese traders.
