Next Volvo Ocean Race to start in 2011

Kochi, Oct 7 (UNI) The next edition of Volvo Ocean Race, the world's premier offshore event, will start in 2011.

It is the first time in the history of the Volvo Ocean Race that the next edition of the race has been announced before the start of the current event, which will begin from Alicante in Spain on October 11.

The timing of the official start for the 2011-12 race was scheduled for late summer/autumn 2011 and the details of the exact timing and route would be announced in 2010, CEO of 'Volvo Ocean Race' Knut Frostad was quoted as saying in a Cochin Port Trust (CPT) release here yesterday.

The decision to announce the following race at this early stage is in direct response to prospective teams for the 2011-12 race, requesting adequate time to prepare projects, it said.

The 2008-09 event held its prelude with the in-port race at Alicante in Spain. The fleet of eight boats would set sail from Alicante on the first offshore leg to Cape Town on October 11.

The current race spanning some 37,000 nautical miles would stop at 11 ports, including Kochi, and take nine months to complete, the release added.

UNI MA VV SW KP0904