Will Volvo Ocean Race return to the Baltimore-Washington area in 2012?

Posted by Susanna at 2:27 PM, Jul 17, 2009 (Comments)

Category: Events

Annapolis, Maryland

THERE COULD BE a repeat of the round-the-world yacht race, the Volvo Ocean Race, with a stop in the Baltimore-Washington area in 2012, according to the Washington Business Journal (7/17/2009). The paper notes that city and state leaders are working on a final bid, due in December, to bring the event to the region in 2012. This would be the first time the Volvo Ocean Race has come to the area since 2006. That year close to 250,000 people visited the Baltimore and Annapolis waterfronts for the race's stopover.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE is held every third year, and traditionally it stops in at least one U.S. port. The 2008-09 nine-month race started in Alicante, Spain, in October last year, and concluded in St. Petersburg in June. It visited Boston, and other stops were Cape Town, Kochi, Singapore, Qingdao, Rio de Janeiro, Galway, Gothenburg and Stockholm, and covered over 37,000 nautical miles. There were seven entries with a crew or sailing team of 11 professionals.

THE FIRST Volvo Ocean Race was run in 2001-02, with the predecessor The Whitebread Round the World Race initiated in 1973. The race is considered to be the longest, most demanding and perilous sporting contest in the world. The crew will experience extreme climate and temperature variations, only eat frozen or dried food and take one change of clothes. They will also experience hunger and sleep deprivation.

IN 2006, according to the Washington Business Journal, $2.5 million was raised by local organizers from corporate and individual donors as well as the state of Maryland to support the stop in the region. The question is now - in a time of economic difficulties - if the interest to sponsor the event will be as strong as three years ago.

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