Alicante given presidential seal of approval
Alicante (Spain) – Alicante was in fiesta mood this week for the official launch ceremony to unveil the Spanish port as the start venue for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09.
The local inhabitants turned out in their thousands to witness the official raising of the Volvo Ocean Race and Alicante ’08 flags in the town’s main square. Joining Glenn Bourke, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, for the official duties was the President of the Generalitat de Valencia, Francisco Camps. Other dignitaries included the Mayor of Alicante Luis Diaz Alperi and the Secretary of State for Sport Jaime Lisavetzky. The flag ceremony was followed by a civic gathering in the nearby Salon del Mar Reception Centre where 700 of the great and the good and a healthy posse of local media had assembled.
In a reference to the decision to select Alicante as the start port, Glenn Bourke said: “Over the years Spanish sailors, boats and sponsors had have left their stamp on the race. In 2005-06 we were delighted to award Galicia the honour of being the start port for the world’s premier ocean race. That honour now passes to Alicante and the region of Valencia. “The launch ceremony signals the start of what will be a long and lasting relationship with Valencia. “We are delighted to be bringing the world’s fastest monohull ocean racing yachts to Alicante. We expect the local community to embrace the international elite sailors as they did in Galicia. To watch them training, witness them do battle in the in-port race, share in the preparations for their global adventure and eventually bid them farewell on their voyage around the world.”
Spanish sailor and syndicate head, Pedro Campos, who oversaw the movistar campaign in 2005-06, was revealed as the project l