Volvo Ocean Race: Newport to make up for Miami miss

When the Volvo Ocean Race came to Miami in May 2012, it was considered a missed opportunity. While the stopover might have successfully fulfilled the business-to-business agendas of teams and race sponsors, it was a big miss for attracting spectators.

“When I entered the Downtown Miami Volvo Ocean Race Village at 5 pm on a Thursday afternoon, two days before the big In-Port Race and Leg 7 send-off, I thought I’d arrived a day late,” observed Sailing World editor Dave Reed. “Before me was a vast expanse of concrete encircled by elaborate sponsor pavilions, but experienced by hardly a soul. ‘Yup, it’s pretty dead,” agreed PUMA Ocean Racing skipper Ken Read. ‘Unfortunately, it’s been like this all week.'”

When the Volvo Ocean Race returns to the USA in May 2015, the Newport, RI stopover expects to make up for the Miami miss. Crowds welcomed Team SCA when they arrived in Newport last week, and locals will see Team Alvimedica and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing next month when their training brings them to town.

Laurie Stroll, the owner of Newport Hospitality, tells the Newport Daily News that about 4,000 room nights have already been booked at area hotels. She says every major hotel in Newport is booked on the May 14-17 weekend for the In-Port Race (May 16) and Leg 7 start to Lisbon, Portugal (May 17).

Hotels in Newport are already running out of rooms? Schwing!