Volvo Ocean Race Youth Program Launched

Having had a great deal of fun organizing the Ocean Race these past few years, Swedish manufacturer Volvo thought it would be best to spread the sailing bug around, for more people to enjoy one of the less talked about sports in the world.

The car maker announced today the start of the Youth Program, an endeavor which would see 14,000 children worldwide embark on the adventure of their young lives. Called Try Sailing, the program will take the kids to the host ports of the Volvo ocean race, put them on board several 5.6m Ludics training dinghies and send them on their way.

"The Volvo Ocean Race has always been committed to helping improve youth sailing and encourage young people to get out on the water. With the Try Sailing initiative we hope to get local kids energised about sailing and our race," said Knut Frostad, Volvo Ocean Race CEO.

"We want to leave a lasting legacy in each of the Host Ports we visit so we are working with the local sailing associations to help achieve this goal. We will be activating an education programme in association with each of the stopover organisations, which will also allow us to bring school children down to the Race Village and help them learn about the race.”

In addition,Volvo will also host the Academy Team Racing Series two-day regatta, which will be organized in the Race Village harbors and will be used by Volvo to educate the sailors, coaches and race officials before this year's ocean race kicks off.