Lisbon, First European Stop for Volvo Ocean Race

After revealing that Cape Town will be the first stop of the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo today announced that Lisbon has been chosen as the first of the European ports for the event. The race will start in Alicante in the autumn of 2011. The next European port will be announced on March 3.

Lisbon, located in the western Portugal, will be the finish of the Transatlantic leg of the race during the summer of 2012.

Interest in hosting the Volvo Ocean Race in Europe was received from 34 cities, 15 of which went through to the final phase of the bidding process.

"It is great to have such an iconic city included in our list of stopovers and Lisbon, especially, has wonderful sailing conditions, which will make for a very exciting in-port race," said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad.  "Lisbon is a delightful city with much to offer the Volvo Ocean Race and this will be a stopover to look forward to after the rigours of the transatlantic leg," he added.

"Portugal is a country of navigators that opened the world to new horizons and its capital, Lisbon, was the starting point for the fabulous saga of the Discoveries. A city with such grand nautical tradition had to be associated with the biggest transoceanic adventure of modern times and it is with utmost honour and pride that we are now a part of the Volvo Ocean Race's global itinerary," said António Costa, Mayor of the City of Lisbon.

The European ports of call for the Volvo Ocean Race in 2012, including the finish port, will be the next to be announced and the entire route is set to be revealed before the end of March.