Qingdao’s selection as the stopover on the marathon ocean race’s new route through the Middle East and Asia follows more than six months of negotiations and evaluation.
The race CEO Glenn Bourke was in Qingdao for an official signing ceremony with the city’s Vice Mayor Zang Aimin who said that Qingdao, which is hosting the 2008 Olympics Sailing Regatta, was seeking to establish itself as China’s City of Sailing.
“With its selection as the stop for the Volvo Ocean Race, Qingdao can further enhance its positioning and strategy. Qingdao will gain rich experience in the organisation of elite sailing competition following its hosting of the Olympic sailing event,” Zang said at the signing ceremony.
“With our professional talent and world-class facilities, we believe Qingdao will be able to provide high-quality service to the world’s premier round the world event - the Volvo Ocean Race,” she added.
Bourke said the race’s stopover in China for the first time was a milestone in the history of international ocean racing. “Qingdao’s facilities and the city’s enthusiastic support for our event have left a deep impression on us. We are really looking forward to coming here in early 2009,” he said. The fleet will arrive around the spring festival and stay for about three weeks.
Bourke and a team of race officials visited Qingdao in April after signing a cooperation agreement in Beijing with the China Water Sports Administration Centre and the China Yachting Association.
Race organisers have held discussions with a number of Chinese ports and there is still potential for a second city to be selected as a pit stop before the fleet sails its longest leg, 12,000 nautical miles, to South America. Among the other cities, Shanghai appears the most likely but negotiations are continuing.
