This weekend, celebrities and athletes will join the Volvo Ocean Race teams for the Team Vestas Wind In-Port Race Newport on Saturday and departure of the fleet for Lisbon on Sunday. Below you will find the agenda for the race days, media boat procedure, details on The Future presentation with Knut Frostad, as well as the special guests that will join the sailors on the water.
Click here for the crew lists.
RACE SCHEDULE – (All local times EDT, UTC -4)
Saturday, May 16 – In-port race day
0930 · 1130 · Media centre opens and media boat check-in
0930 · The Future presentation (more detail below)
1215 · In-Port Race parade (starting from North Gate, Fort Adams)
1300 · Media boat departure – meet at media centre
1400 · Team Vestas Wind In-Port Race Newport - Live on Youtube and volvooceanrace.com
1530 · Media boats return to Race Village
1600 · Public prize-giving (approximate timing)
Sunday, May 17 – Leg start day
0930 – 1130 · Media centre opens and media boat check-in
1150 · Departure interviews in crew holding area. Interview requests must be made in advance with team press officers.
1200 · Departure Ceremony (starting from North Gate, Fort Adams)
1223 · National Anthem, city handover and blessing of fleet
1300 · Media boat departure – meet at media centre
1400 · Leg 7 Start to Lisbon – Live on Youtube and volvooceanrace.com
1530 · Media boats return to Race Village
Confirmed VIP guests to date:
In-port Race guests onboard
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Zdenko Chára: Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman, currently serving as captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy while playing for the Bruins in the 2008–09 season.
– Interview opportunity: 1100-1130 in Sailors Terrace. For more information contact KT Newman
Leg Start – jumpers
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Ryan Kwanten (or ‘Jason Stackhouse’ from series True Blood): Australian film actor and heartthrob. Kwanten first found fame playing Vinnie Patterson in the Australian soap opera, Home and Away, but is best known in the role of Jason Stackhouse from the smash hit HBO series True Blood.
– Interview opportunity: 1115 – 1145 in Sailors Terrace. For more information contact KT Newman
Team Brunel
Ken Read: Former Volvo Ocean Race sailor and one of America’s most accomplished yachtsmen. Read skippered PUMA in the 2008-09 and 2011-12 edition of the race and was also onboard Ericsson during the last 4 legs in 2005-06. He is now the President of North Sails Group. Read will be commenting from onboard during the live Leg Start show, so make sure to tune in!
– For interview opportunities contact: Tim Kelly
THE FUTURE: Volvo Ocean Race Presentation by Knut Frostad
On the morning of the Team Vestas Wind In-Port Race Newport this Saturday, May 16, Race CEO Knut Frostad will give a presentation to teams and race stakeholders at 0930 (Newport local time) outlining the future plans and strategy for the upcoming edition of the event.
The presentation will be hosted in the The Dome, Newport Race Village and doors will open from 0910 for seating. There are a limited number of seats available for media, but everyone that hasn’t been given access can watch live from the Media Centre screen in the Newport Race Village.
If you can not make it to Newport and would like to stream it live at 0930 EDT/1330 UTC on YouTube, the link is here.
MEDIA BOATS FOR THE WEEKEND
Procedure: On the day of the In-Port Race and Departure, media are required to ‘check-in’ at the Media Centre before 1200 to be assigned to a boat and receive a pass for boarding. Boarding is right after the ceremony at 1300 from Sail Newport Alofsin Piers. Media can come to the media centre or meet directly at the dock entrance.