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SINGAPORE : The Volvo Ocean race will be headed to Asia for the first time this season, and the yachts competing will stop in China, India and Singapore.
The organisers are planning to double the global viewership from two billion in the previous race, to four billion this year.
The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the toughest races in the open waters. And for the first time, organisers have decided to include Asia for the new season starting in October.
They are also planning a host of new initiatives. More programmes are also being included this season to raise awareness of how exciting the race is, which is on par with the Formula One race, in terms of size.
And with new media, the race and its latest adventures will be brought right into the homes of audiences all over the world. There will be a website and for the first time, a broadband TV site, which is accessible to all.
Reg Gratton, Communications Director, Volvo Ocean Race, said: "It's almost real time now and we can get video conference calls, blogging... the communication from the boats will be (on) high definition cameras. So I think the feeling that the race disappears after it leaves, say Singapore, to go to Qingdao, is just not the case any more."
MediaCorp will also be showing 39 weekly documentary programmes, which will give an update of the race as it progresses.
Organisers are also looking at getting educational institutions involved in the race when it comes to Singapore in December.
There are plans to recruit some 30 media studies students to help run the media centre. And hopefully these students will consider sports journalism as a future career.
Organisers said preparations for the Singapore stopover are on track. The boats will be here for more than three weeks, as they are due for repairs, after arriving from India and before heading to China.
While in Singapore, the boats will also have two In-port races, off the East Coast.
Rob Turnbull, Chief Operating Officer, One15 Singapore Ocean Race, said: "If we can get anywhere between 3,000 to 4,000 people... maybe not so much on water, they can be at viewing points near the water, I think will be... good."
The seven boats that are competing will leave Alicante in Spain in October and are due to arrive in Singapore a few days before Christmas. - CNA/ms
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