Prologue Leg course shortened

The Volvo Ocean Race Prologue Leg has been shortened, with the compulsory gate off Cabo de Gata now becoming the finish line.

Race Director Phil Lawrence informed the teams at 0800 UTC on Wednesday morning when the leading boats were approximately two hours from the gate.

The teams are currently sailing in winds near 10 knots. But the forecast is for the wind to ease significantly on the other side of the cape.

With the shortened course, the fleet is expected to begin arriving in Alicante early on Thursday morning local time.

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 pasisonate 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.