Volvo Ocean Race 2008 fever gets started in Kochi

Kochi, which is all decked up for the prestigious India stopover of the acclaimed Volvo Ocean Race 2008,  saw the first arrival in the form of Ericsson 4 on Sunday.

Torben Grael from Brazil and his international crew onboard Ericsson 4 made it two wins in a row when they crossed the finish of leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race in Kochi . The 4,450 nautical mile leg, which started from Cape Town, South Africa on 15 November, took the skipper and his men 14 days, 11 hours, 32 minutes boosting the team’s overall score to 26 points.

On stepping ashore, skipper Torben Grael said, “The trip had a lot of very difficult conditions, cold and wet and the light doldrums.  We had many breakdowns, but we got to the gate in a good position and, of course we are very happy to be here in first place after a hard few days and to get a good result.” This is Grael’s first visit to India and he and his crew are looking forward to a stopover like no other one that has preceded it in the Volvo Ocean Race.

Chairman of Cochin Port Trust N Ramachandran and Dr. Venu, Secretary, Kerala Tourism were on hand to welcome the team and presented welcome gifts and a trophy to the skipper. Basking in the glorious win, the team posed for shutterbugs with their team song ‘Metallica’ playing in the background. Also waiting with baited breath were the family members of the sailors who were  expectantly looking forward to the arrival of the team.

Meanwhile, the Race Village was also inaugurated as part of the arrival. “With the boats coming in earlier than expected, we want visitors to come in and see the yachts from today. However, the pavilions and Race Village will be open for viewing from December 3 after the formal welcome”, Ramachandran said.

According to Kerala’s Minister P K Gurudasan , “Kochi is soon transforming into an industrial city. Kerala is already a sought after tourist destination internationally and the race stopover at Kochi marks its ever emerging position on the world map.”

With the arrival of the first yacht, the excitement seems to be building with every passing minute. The organisers are expecting several thousands of visitors to  the race village over the next 13 days, said an organizing team spokesperson.