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In this photo released by the Volvo Ocean Race, the fleet is seen during the Volvo Ocean in-port race in Alicante, Spain, on Saturday.

Our Bureau

Kochi, Oct. 6 The in-port Volvo Ocean Race began on Saturday at Alicante, Spain, from where the eight competing yachts will set sail around the world on October 11. Among the inaugural festivities was a Kathakali dance performance from Kerala.

The crew will have stopovers at ports around the world, including a 10-day halt in Kochi. The 70-foot yachts are expected to reach Kochi on December 3.

The 10-day stopover at Kochi will witness a festival at the Race Village in Willingdon Island – the centre of the festivities. A mega stage for daily events, huge pavilions by Volvo and sponsors, Volvo’s simulator to experience the feel of sailing and food courts serving multiple global cuisines will be a major attraction during the stopover for visitors.

In one of the most gruelling and hazardous event in sport, 88 crewmen on eight yachts representing seven nations will sail 68,500 km, enduring punishing conditions with little sleep and living on dried food.

The event would be beamed across 200 countries and will also be telecast live via the Internet. The area will house the major offices of the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover, like the International Jury Office, Race Management Office, Events and Operations Office, Logistics Office as well as the media and accreditation offices.

Four major international luxury cruise vessels are calling in at Kochi during the stopover. The event will attract 5,000 international tourists from these cruise liners, which will be an added attraction in the berths of Cochin port.

During the nine months of this edition of the race, which concludes in St Petersburg, Russia, during late June 2009, the teams will sail over 37,000 nautical miles of the world’s most treacherous seas, via Cape Town, Kochi, Singapore, Qingdao, around Cape Horn to Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Gothenburg and Stockholm.

More Stories on : Shipping/Ports | Kerala

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