The containers arrive!

The Auckland Stopover Operations team heaved a sigh of relief as the shipping containers arrived on schedule on Saturday and were trucked into the Race Village on Sunday.

The containers came from the Abu Dhabi Stopover and contain all the Race Village infrastructure and the equipment for the Team Bases.

"We always had a tight timetable to build the Race Village," says Port Director Tom Mayo. "It's a big relief that the containers got here on time and in good shape. Now the Operations team is in full swing getting everything unloaded and built."

Watch our video of the containers arriving here

All change at the Viaduct

Construction of the Race Village is in full swing with contractors hard at work unloading containers, building pavilions, assembling the Volvo Experience, cabling the offices and media centre, constructing the entertainment stage and much, much more.

Parts of the Viaduct are now closed to the public until the Race Village opens on Thursday 8 March. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause and we look forward to welcoming you at the Auckland Stopover Race Village from 8 March.

Waitemata Harbour race courses

Aucklanders will have a great close-up view of the world's fastest monohulls in action as the Volvo Open 70s race in Waitemata Harbour during the Auckland Stopover.

Organisers announced the courses for the Pro-Am Races on Friday 16 March, the In-Port Race on Saturday 17 March and the Departure and Start of Leg 5 on Sunday 18 March.

The Pro-Am course is a loop close to the shore with the yachts turning just before the Harbour Bridge. The In-Port Race, for all-important Race points, is longer - taking the fleet out past North Head and racing under the Harbour Bridge. When the fleet departs on Sunday 18 March, the action begins with a loop course in the Waitemata Harbour before the fleet races up the coast to start the long haul of Leg 5 to the next Stopover in Itajai, Brazil.

Maps are available here

"We learned from the 08/09 Volvo Ocean Race that we needed to bring as much racing close to the shore-based public as we possibly can," says Volvo Ocean Race Director Jack Lloyd. "We knew that Auckland Harbour would deliver on this criteria."

Lloyd is looking forward to the Race returning to Auckland after ten years away. "If you have been here, you want to come back, and if you haven't, then you have always wanted to," he said.

"The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has designed a fantastic series of courses for the event," said Jennah Wootten, Manager Major Events, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development. "There are great viewing points for the public not just in the Viaduct and Princes Wharf but also on North Head, Orakei and Birkenhead."