Exactly one year before the fleet crosses the start line, the entry process for the Legends Race 2018 is officially open!
The landmark race will take place on 21 June 2018 from Gothenburg to The Hague, and will see a fleet of Legends boats from both the Whitbread Round the World Race and Volvo Ocean Race eras compete on the same course as the 2017-18 fleet, who will be racing the final leg toward the finish line after 45,000 nautical miles around the planet.
With a year to go before the spectacle – which is being organised as a joint venture by Gothenburg & Co and The Hague – gets underway, the official Notice of Race has been launched, outlining full details and information around the event and how to sign up.
“There is nothing of more value to a major sporting property than its past, its heritage, and the legends that have been created through it,” said Race CEO Mark Turner.
“The world’s best sailors have spent decades obsessed with winning this trophy – and we have an amazing sacrifice coming up in June 2018. The Legends Race isn’t just a great way to celebrate the achievements of the past, but also to look to the future and the next exciting chapter of this legendary race.”
The historic boats will depart Gothenburg just 45 minutes ahead of the 2017-18 racing fleet of Volvo Ocean 65s, on a 460-nautical mile race course which is steeped in ocean racing heritage.
© PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race
Boats flagged with both Swedish and Dutch flags have won the world’s toughest ocean race in the past –EF Language (1997-98) and Ericsson 4 (2008-09) for Sweden, and Flyer (1977-78, 1981-82) plus ABN AMRO One (2005-06) for the Netherlands.
Seven-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran Roger Nilson knows all too well how addictive the toughest test of a team in professional sport can be, having competed seven times in an offshore career spanning three decades.
“Racing round the world has been an enormous part of my life and I am very excited that a fleet of Legends boats will be here in Sweden, my home country, next year. It’s going to be an event not to be missed and I will be there to cheer them on,” he said.
Bouwe Bekking, who has also racked up seven participations in the 43-year-old round the world event, and skippered Team Brunel in 2014-15, added: “Legends boats racing from Sweden to Holland – what a great idea!
© Stefan Coppers/Team Brunel/Volvo
“In Holland, the Volvo Ocean Race is a big part of our sailing DNA, and our round-the-world racing history goes all the way back to 1977.
“The Dutch public have been hooked on this race ever since Conny van Rietschoten won it onboard Flyer – and so have I. The boat has since been fully restored, as have many of the other old boats. It will be a fantastic sight to see the fleet racing towards the finish line in The Hague.”
The boats will be open to the public both in Gothenburg and The Hague as well as being available for charter sailing before and after the race itself. There will be a parade of sail in both Host Cities, and the event will conclude with an official prize giving in The Hague.
“The Legends Race will add a lot of excitement to the stopover in Gothenburg because there are many fans in Sweden who are devoted to the history of the Volvo Ocean Race,” said Camilla Nyman, CEO of Gothenburg & Co, organisers of the stopover in Gothenburg.
Frank van der Peet, Head of the organising team for the The Hague, said, “Holland has a long and successful history with the Whitbread and the Volvo Ocean Race, so we are very enthusiastic about welcoming these magnificent and historic boats to The Hague.”
For more information on the Legends Race, follow the Facebook account by clicking here
