Oversubscribed!

Hundreds of applicants have signed up as volunteers for the Auckland Stopover and volunteer registration is now closed.

“Just under 500 volunteers have registered on the database and we’ve been blown away by the quality and commitment,” says Port Director Tom Mayo. “Professionals and superannuants, students and yachties from all over New Zealand and overseas have got involved and many have already put in long days in the final planning phase for the event.”

The majority of volunteers are New Zealanders but applications also came from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, Russia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The age range is from 16 to 78.

The volunteers are filling roles both on and off the water including accreditation, information services, media operations, Volvo Experience assistants, backstage positions, drivers, dock marshals, Try Sailing, spectator services and much more.

One will be dressed as Wisdom the Albatross, the official mascot of Keep the Oceans Clean! initiative. Others will be assisting with the Air Balls, the Grinding Challenge and the model Volvo Cars and Trucks. Groups will work in spectator services, shore team support, event operations, container storage and other support areas.

“We’ve appointed 320 volunteers to specific roles to date,” says Mayo. “We’ve got one final big training session on Saturday 11 February and ten days later we start to build the Race Village.”

Haka and dragons

Maori culture mixes with Chinese dragons as kapa haka takes centre stage at the official handover ceremony from Sanya to Auckland when the Volvo Ocean Race leaves China on Sunday 19 February.

Auckland based performing group Pounamu is making the trip to China as part of the Auckland Stopover delegation and will feature in the global television coverage of the Start of Leg 4 to Auckland.

The NZ delegation is led by Auckland Stopover chairman Sir John Wells and Port Director Tom Mayo. Pictured above is Emirates Team New Zealand's CAMPER being welcomed on arrival in Sanya.

Watch the Race on TV One

TV One will be screening 60 minutes of coverage of the Leg 3 finish at 11.00pm this Monday 13 February. Watch the in-Port Race from Sanya at 2.00pm on Sunday 19 February followed by coverage of the Leg 4 Start at 11.00pm on Monday 20 February. If you miss one, don't forget all programmes will be available on demand from www.tvnz.co.nz