MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Volvo Ocean Race Skippers Briefing – Cape Town

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At the Volvo Ocean Race Skippers Briefing in Cape Town on 8 December 2017 ahead of the start of Leg 3 from Cape Town to Melbourne.

Xabi Fernandez (MAPFRE), Charles Caudrelier (Dongfeng), Charlie Enright (Team Vetsas 11th Hour Racing), Bouwe Bekking (Team Brunel), Simeon Tienpont (AkzoNobel), David Witt (Sun Hung Kaii / Scallywag) and Dee Caffari (Turn the Tide on Plastic) are joined by Martine Grael (Olympic Champion and daughter of Torben Grael who won the Volvo in 2008-09 as skipper of Ericcson 4. Martine is sailing on team AkzoNobel) and Blair Tuke (Gold in the 49-er Class at the Rio Olympics, with Peter Burling, and part of New Zealand’s 2017 America’s Cup winning team. If MAPFRE win the Volvo then Tuke will have completed a triple crown.)

David Witt; “I think I should just revert to who I am and just be 100% honest…” At Volvo Ocean Race Skippers briefing.

David Witt
Sun Hung Kai Scallywag Skipper, David Witt

WHY? It is a little known fact that Port Elizabeth has been approached TWICE to bid on becoming a stopover for the Volvo Ocean Race – the first attempt was stopped by our local Port Authorities and we await the outcome of the second. The home of Volvo Cars is Gothenburg – the second-largest city in Sweden which is twinned with Nelson Mandela Bay and which has provided incredible support and promotion for our Metropole.

MyPE is running a series of articles about the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race to: 1. Acknowledge and thank Gothenburg for their support, 2. Showcase a sport that Alan Straton is passionate about, 3. Demonstrate to citizens of Port Elizabeth just how much exposure a city like Cape Town receives from the VOR and 4. As a gentle reminder to the TNPA and our city of the great value that such an event can bring to our city.

The start city of the VOR – Alicante, Spain – estimates the economic value of each leg to be R960 Million. Click here to read very Volvo Ocean Race published on MyPE.

The local Algoa Bay Yacht Club has hosted many international sailing regattas, the most recent being the 60th 5O5 World Championships and, along with requests from the Volvo Ocean Race, have also recently been asked to host the 2019 stopover for the Clipper Around the World Yacht Race.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.