The V&A Waterfront is hosting the Ocean Race, with festivities having begun yesterday (February 8), the day before the first yachts arrive for their stopover in Cape Town, and continuing for nearly three weeks.
On February 26, the yachts will set sail from Cape Town on the longest leg of the race in its history, a 12 750 nautical mile, 34-day marathon to Itajaí, Brazil. With Antarctica to the south, the fleet will pass all three great southern Capes, the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn.
From Brazil, the race takes the crews to Newport, United States; then Aarhus, Denmark; a fly-by via Kiel, Germany; The Hague, Netherlands; and a final stretch to Genoa, Italy, for a Mediterranean grand finale at the end of June.
The 2022-23 race marks the 12th consecutive time that Cape Town has hosted a stopover for the Ocean Race.
V&A Waterfront CEO, David Green, said: “Because of our extraordinary location at the gateway to the Southern Oceans, the ocean is at the heart of the V&A Waterfront’s vision, and we have adopted the mutually reinforcing goals of growing the opportunities relating to the ocean economy, including creating jobs, while developing and exercising best-practice ocean stewardship.”
The event will see activities, educational programmes and projects on display to promote environmental and marine sustainability.
At the V&A Waterfront, the free-to-enter public village Ocean Live Park is now open from 10h00-19h00 daily. The Sustainability Pavilion gives children and adults an opportunity to learn about the ocean and view an upcycled art exhibition.
Additionally, the Two Oceans Aquarium will be hosting various events, including the inaugural Ocean Innovation Africa Summit, Trash Bash Beach Clean-up, Ocean Race Learning Programme, and a Valentine’s Dinner.
The Ocean Sports Festival will run from February 12-19, followed by dragon boat racing, and the V&A Waterfront MTN Take the Stage Concert at the amphitheatre.
The Ocean Race’s One Blue Voice Campaign drives public support for ocean rights. It aims to give the ocean a voice and put in place a global framework for protecting the marine environment.
