Miami | here we come

May 7, 2012 - 2130 CEST

VOLVO OCEAN RACE SET FOR CLIMACTIC FINISH TO LEG 6 AS DOWNTOWN MIAMI RACE VILLAGE OPENS Miami, Florida, USA – As Leg 6 entered its third and final week, PUMA Ocean Racing were still in charge at the front of the fleet with the boats facing a final push through the Caribbean. However, with just two days of sailing until the finish into Miami and picturesque Biscayne Bay, all bets were off as to who will emerge victorious according to the skippers themselves. After more than 4,000 miles sailed since departing Brazil and with less then 500 miles of racing left, the entire fleet is separated by less than 100 miles. Read (Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A.), who led his PUMA team to the top spot in Leg 5 into Itajai, Brazil, is desperate to win Leg 6 into his home country and claim back-to-back wins. Overall race leaders Team Telefónica dropped to fourth over the weekend on the current Leg 6 but were still very much in the picture and will be keeping a close eye on overall second-place Groupama and third-place CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand. On Sunday, Groupama split from the leading pack in a bid to protect their second-place on the overall race leaderboard, as a light wind zone close to Miami threatens to shuffle the fleet positions over the next 48 hours. By early morning Monday, Groupama and Abu Dhabi were making gains as the fleet engaged in a high-risk battle for supremacy with chances on the table for all the teams still to claim a podium result. In Miami, the shore crews were eagerly anticipating the arrival of their teams so that work can begin to prepare the boats for action in the PortMiami In-Port Race and Leg 7 Start on May 19/20. Team Sanya, currently based in Savannah, U.S.A., were in the final stages of repairs to their boat. They plan to sail to Miami on May 11 to rejoin the fleet. DOWNTOWN MIAMI RACE VILLAGE OFFICIALLY OPENS The Downtown Miami Race Village is ready to host one of the closest finishes of the race yet after the official opening ceremony Monday morning with a ribbon-cutting attended to by Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado and Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. While PUMA were feeling the heat at the front of the Leg 6 race to their home country, temperatures were soaring at Miami’s Bicentennial Park, as locals and families began enjoying the free activities, pavilions, various scheduled events and interactive booths around the village. Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad said he believed the locals’ relationship with the sea and their raw passion for sport added to the family friendly atmosphere of the race village. “The Volvo Ocean Race fits in somewhere between sailing and adventure," he said. “It’s one of the last true human adventures still in existence and I think people in Miami are into that. This is different to anything they have in Miami and anything in Florida and you have to experience it to understand it.” Miami Mayor Regalado said the event was a great showcase to have in downtown Miami. “We are very excited. Not only are we the only port in the United States that the Volvo is stopping but this is great for the waterfront and Miami. Having a 14-day, free show for the people of Miami is what it is all about... I hope many thousands of people come by to see the beauty of Miami and the race village.” The anticipated nail-biting finish of the Leg 6 race from Itajaí, Brazil to Miami is sure to impress even those who know nothing about sailing, Frostad reckons. “I think we have a great race on our hands,” Frostad said. “We have the closest leg yet, and I think we’ll be up for a big surprise at the end.” The Downtown Miami Race Village is free to enter and open from May 6 to 20, from 10am to 7pm Sunday to Thursday, and 10am to 10pm on Friday and Saturday. Located at Bicentennial Park, the race village consists of dynamic entertainment, interactive pavilions, food stalls, sailing opportunities and events including live concerts and shows, all for free. The village will also offer an extreme sailing ride-simulator, a 3D-cinema featuring the history of the 39-year-old Volvo Ocean Race and a pedestal grinding challenge. To cap it off locals and fans alike will have the chance to get up close to the Volvo Open 70s and their sailors. They can watch them in action on May 18 in the Pro-Am Race, May 19 in the PORTMIAMI IN-PORT RACE and the start of the Leg 7 race to Lisbon on May 20.