October 28, 2005, Sanxenxo, Galicia – The Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 received the Spanish Royal seal of approval today with the announcement that His Majesty King Juan Carlos I will make an official visit to the host port of Sanxenxo on Friday 4th November.
His Royal Highness will meet the crews of the seven boats – a day before they do battle in the in-port race.
Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, said: “We are honoured that His Royal Highness has chosen to make an official visit to Sanxenxo. The crew members will relish the prospect of talking with him, given that he is an avid sailor. Who knows, he may even pass on a couple of tips for dealing with the tricky wind conditions we experience here in the bay. Being no stranger to elite yacht racing, I’m sure he will be impressed by the Volvo Open 70s.
“This is an exciting development for the race and for Galicia. It will add significantly to the high profile the Volvo Ocean Race already commands in the region as we build-up to the start of the in-port race in Sanxenxo on November 5 and the start of the ocean leg in Vigo seven days later.”
He concluded, “We have met with the Royal House and are busy making preparations to ensure everything is in place for his visit.”
The King is extremely supportive of the Volvo Ocean Race; he hosted a reception at the Royal Palace in 2003 when Galicia was officially announced as the start port for the 2005-06 race.
His list of sailing credits include; runner up at the 2003 Admiral’s Cup, winner of the Spanish IMS Championships as well as being a regular competitor in the IMS and Transpac circuit.
For media information on the Volvo Ocean Race, please contact:
Cameron Kelleher PR Director in Galicia:
Mob: +34 6699 73736
Email: Cameron.kelleher@volvooceanrace.org
Sacha Oswald Press Officer in Galicia:
Mob: +34 6699 73502
Email: sacha.oswald@volvooceanrace.org
Lizzie Green Press Officer at race headquarters:
Tel: +44 1489 554 832, Mob: +44 7801 185 320
Email: lizzie.green@volvooceanrace.org
Images
Royalty free images for editorial use are available from the Image Archive at http://media.vemuk.com/
For assistance, please contact: Patrick Anderson, Picture Desk Manager
Tel: 44+ 1489 554867 Mobile: 44 777 55 33 956
Email: patrick.anderson@volvooceanrace.org
Radio
Please contact Guy Swindells (Radio Producer) in Galicia
Tel: + 441489 554 859 Mob: +44 7710 295 995,
Email: guy.swindells@volvooceanrace.org
Port Accreditation
Available online at https://accreditation.volvooceanrace.org/ .
The Volvo Ocean Race
– The Volvo Ocean Race will start with an in-port race in Sanxenxo, Galicia, on November 5, 2005. The start of leg one, the first offshore leg, will be from Vigo, Galicia, on November 12, 2005.
– The Volvo Ocean Race is a round the world yacht race featuring nine offshore legs, over 31,250 nautical miles. The 2005-06 event will feature an inshore race at each of the main stopover ports.
– Four teams from the last race measured the media value of their exposure. The results showed an average of US$50 million, which equates to a 200-300% return on their sponsorship investment.
– The Volvo Ocean Race 2001-02 achieved a cumulative audience of over 800 million viewers ranking it among the top international sporting events.
– Further information can be found at http://www.volvooceanrace.org/