Volvo Ocean Race in Galway (IRL), Ostar in Plymouth (UK), Vendee Globe in Les Sables d'Olonne (FRA) three great events moving at least 500.000 "sailing" people next weekend:
44 skippers from around the world have signed up for the world's oldest solo ocean challenge - OSTAR (Original Single handed Trans-Atlantic Race) 2009. the participants' sailboats will be leaving Plymouth on May 25th, the OSTAR, which dates back to 1960, has received entries from many countries: Britain, Austria, France, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and the USA. With a well established reputation for producing the sailors of the future, two young novices seek to further their reputaions in this race. Rob Cumming, is 19 years old and from Plymouth. Oscar Mead who will be just 18 years of age making him the youngest competitor to have ever taken part.
Also attracting much attention is Katie Miller who, at the tender age of 21 years old, has already been tipped as the next Ellen MacArthur and is the youngest female competitor to have entered this prestigious race.
French sailor Anne Caseneuve will skipper the same 50 foot trimaran which she raced in OSTAR 2005 when she unfortunately damaged her knee and was forced to withdraw. With her sailing experience and 50 foot sailboat she stands a very good chance of line honours, thus becoming the first ever female winner.
The Yacht club has organized some spectator boats to see the start on the water monday 25th may. Mv Plymouth Sound & Silvert Crest leave new pontoon The Barbican at 10:30 returning at 1400. Tickets for seats' rental must be purchased in advance from RWYC (tel 01752 660077) (adults £12 children under 16 £6).
The 2008-2009 Vendée Globe prize-giving ceremony will be taking place on Saturday 23rd May on the main beach in Les Sables d’Olonne. It will offer another opportunity to applaud the thirty sailors, who tackled the Everest of the Seas last winter.
The ceremony will begin at 10 p.m. This event, completely free of charge will be a great popular occasion just like the Vendée Globe itself and will correspond to the achievements of the skippers. Alongside the presentation of the thirty participants and the handing over of the Vendée Globe trophies, there will also be a pyrotechnic display, a light show projected on to giant screens and a film summarising the sixth edition of the Vendée Globe and the 30 sailboats running. A large firework display will bring the ceremony to an end. This will be the moment to applaud for one final time the skippers, who took part in this edition, before looking forward to the next Vendée Globe in 2012-2013, the start date of which will be announced during the ceremony by Philippe de Villiers, the President of the Vendée Globe.
When the Volvo Ocean Race comes to Galway and the seven sailboats berth in the harbour of Galway, a quarter of a million people are expected to watch the in-port race and the pro-am event in the Bay.It's a great coup for Ireland, and particularly for the ancient west coast city of Galway, following their successful bid as a stopover port in the Volvo Ocean Race. The event will make its first-ever Irish stopover in the fabled waters of Galway Bay. The first sailboats arrival are expected on May 23rd and the participants to the Volvo Ocean race will stay in Galway for two weeks. Usually Galway during the spring and summer attracts visitors to several different music festivals, an International Festival of Literature, the Galway Arts Festival (Ireland’s largest), the Oyster Festival and the Galway Races, which attracts 200,000 people over seven days. So that we shall have plenty of entertainments during the two weeks of the Galway's Leg, included the In Port Race on 30th may and the major events held in the Trade And Expo Arena along the entire period.
