Volvo Ocean Race: heading this way
by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia 4 Jan 2018 14:38 AEDT
20 January 2018
Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, start © Jesus Renedo / Volvo Ocean Race
Hong Kong is waiting with bated breath for the arrival of the VOR fleet, but there’s just not a lot of information being splashed about by the stopover organisers. There is a website, however: www.volvooceanraceHK.com, and here’s what we have garnered so far.
1. When the boats arrive, around 20 January, the Volvo Ocean Race and Festival will be based at Kai Tak Runway Park (the old airport runway) in Kwun Tong.
2. Highlights of the stopover will be the In-Port Racing (27 January), an Around the Island Race (28 January) and Pro-Am Racing (29 January). Let’s hope that the latter sees more than two boats come out to play – which is what happened in Melbourne, leaving a number of rather disappointed VIP guests.
3. The rest of the time, you can head on down to Kai Tak for the Race Village experience and check out the HK food trucks (at last, something for them to do!).
4. Please note there is no car parking, and no car or taxi access to the event, so get dropped off or park your car at Kwun Tong Ferry Pier and take the VOR Ferry from Kwun Tong Ferry Pier to Kai Tak Public Pier. There will also be a free ferry running from Central, and free buses from Yau Tong and Kowloon Tong on weekends – check the website.
5. What the programme doesn’t mention is that the VOR fleet will be away in Nansha 01-05 February for what is officially a China stopover. We hear that some sponsors spat the dummy at the thought of Hong Kong being a ‘China’ stopover – which begs the question of whether Hong Kong is in China or not (and the answer is, of course, “when it suits.”). We are even more amused to discover that what promises to be a 50nm motoring trip from Kai Tak to Nansha will have points awarded in order to legitimise it as – officially - a scoring leg, which makes Nansha a stopover rather than just a visit. One point for every boat. Really. Protocol can be truly amazing.
Anyone interested in a VIP Pass on 27 January, In-Port Race Day (Access All Areas, VIP Lounge at Kai Tak, Spectator Boat for the In-Port races, ‘front row’ viewing, HK$2,900 only), please go to https://www.ticketflap.com/volvooceanracehkvip2018, and quote ‘Sail-World.com’ as the referral.