Lisbon gives double boost to Volvo Ocean Race<\/p>\n
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Ainhoa Sanchez \/ Volvo Ocean Race<\/p>\n
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Walter Branco \/ Volvo Ocean Race Lisbon<\/p>\n
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Ricardo Pinto \/ Volvo Ocean Race<\/p>\n
Lisbon, one of the most successful host cities of the Volvo Ocean Race in recent years, has been chosen as the destination for a flying start to the next edition in 2017-18.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Portuguese capital is first leg destination<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 New Boatyard facility in Lisbon<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2018Race will begin in real style\u2019<\/p>\n
LISBON, May 10 \u2013 Lisbon, one of the most successful host cities of the Volvo Ocean Race in recent years, has been chosen as the destination for a flying start to the next edition in 2017-18.<\/p>\n
In 2011-12 and 2014-15, Portugal\u2019s capital city staged hugely popular stopovers following transatlantic legs, but this time organisers have decided that a short, sharp \u2018sprint\u2019 leg from Alicante would be the ideal way to begin the round-the-world challenge.<\/p>\n
As well as that fresh initiative, the race announced on Tuesday that a new Boatyard facility was opening with immediate effect in Lisbon to service the fleet for the next race and provide the base for an upgrade to all the Volvo Ocean 65 boats from October this year.<\/p>\n
The Lisbon Boatyard will complement the well-established maintenance centre in Alicante that will continue to be available for teams as their Mediterranean training and support base.<\/p>\n
Antonio Bola\u00f1os L\u00f3pez, acting CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, told a news conference: \u201cWe have a double reason to celebrate our close ties with the great maritime capital city of Lisbon today.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirstly, we know that Lisbon will provide a packed and vibrant host city for our fleet after a thrilling first leg from Alicante, ensuring the next race in 2017-18 will begin in real style.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecondly, Lisbon offers us the perfect location to set up a second Boatyard operation on top of the existing provision we enjoy in our home city of Alicante.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fleet for the 13th edition in 2017-18 will be upgraded in the Lisbon facility later this year and early into 2017. The city of Lisbon will also provide an ideal pre-race training hub for our fleet in the Atlantic.<\/p>\n
Fernando Medina, Mayor of Lisbon, told Race officials: \u201cThanks for your confidence in Lisbon \u2013 we are going to do everything in our power to make the Boatyard here a big, big success.”<\/p>\n
Lisbon joins Alicante, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Auckland, Newport (Rhode Island), Cardiff, Gothenburg and final destination city, The Hague, on the route for the 2017-18 race, with more cities to be announced in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
It is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting and challenging racecourses of recent editions.<\/p>\n
Nick Bice, Head of the Boatyard, was delighted to open a new centre for future teams, with perfect training conditions in the Atlantic so close by.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cLisbon has endless possibilities for us. The building we\u2019ll be using for the Boatyard is an old fish market. If you were to design and build a facility to undertake the upgrades to the boats, you wouldn\u2019t be able to design it better than what\u2019s already there in the docks in Lisbon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe training options are almost limitless. You can go up around the corner, around Cascais and be virtually guaranteed wind at any stage. Equally, you could train in the Tagus River to practise in light air scenarios.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bola\u00f1os L\u00f3pez added:\u00a0\u201cI would like to thank all those involved for making this ambitious project happen, particularly the City Hall and the Port Authority of Lisbon together with other local authorities in Lisbon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to building on a working partnership that has already delivered two outstanding stopovers during the 2011-12 and 2014-15 races. The future could not be more exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
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