Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, will host the third 2014/15 Volvo Ocean Race stopover in December next year.
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), which brought the event to the Arabian Gulf for the first time in 2012 and is behind its return, has also confirmed its Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team will contest the 2014/15 campaign.
"In 2012 more than 120,000 visitors joined in the stopover celebrations at a dedicated waterfront race village – and we will be looking to build on our reputation of delivering a stand-out stopover experience that is talked about long after the fleet has left," said Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman, TCA Abu Dhabi.
The event galvanised the emirate’s watersports industry with a wealth of sailing centres, yacht charter companies and state-of-the-art marina facilities coming online over the last 12 months.
Abu Dhabi’s 2014 stopover will once again be focused on the purpose built Destination Village – the size of eight football pitches – on the city’s Corniche breakwater.
Abu Dhabi will welcome the Volvo Ocean Race fleet on the second leg from Recife, Brazil, after it departs from its starting port of Alicante, Spain.
