Boat race stops off in Cardiff for first time
AGRUELLING boat race will take place in Cardiff for the first time in its 45-year history from this weekend after the city beat Cape Town and Auckland to host the event.
The Volvo Ocean Race fleet stopover will be taking over Cardiff Bay for the next two weeks, with the leading boats in the fleet expected to arrive on Sunday.
But while we may have basked in the warmest May Day in Wales ever at the start of the month, followed by a lengthy spell of hot weather, the bank holiday could be a washout after the Met Office issued weather warnings for rain and storms.
The 46,000-nautical-mile Volvo Ocean Race set out from Alicante last October, crossing the oceans with stopovers in some of the most famous maritime destinations in the world including Lisbon, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Itajai in Brazil, and Cardiff, over eight months.
The most recent leg will see the fleet travel 2,900 nautical miles across the North Atlantic from Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It’ll be the first time the race has returned to British shores in 12 years.
After the stopover in Cardiff the fleet will sail to the Netherlands before completing the journey in Gothenburg, Sweden.
While the fleet is in Cardiff there will be a race village at Alexandra Head, featuring a cinema, trade stalls and live music on the waterfront. There will also be the chance to buy locally-sourced food and drink, as well as a business event attracting speakers on the issue of clean seas.
NoFit State Circus will also perform their brand-new show, LEXICON,inside a giant silver spaceship, drawing inspiration from circus history, heritage, and traditions.
Among the free family activities are taster sessions in paddleboarding and sailing, exploring the pit lanes of each sailing team, and workshops with Kaos Youth Circus. There are also paid-for activities including a climbing wall and zip wire.
But the recent hot spell is not expected to linger as the half-term holiday begins and the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain and thunderstorms across Wales over the long weekend.
The long-range forecast predicts it will remain “overall drier and warmer than average” in the week ahead.
Cardiff Council has announced road restrictions at peak times during the event, affecting Harbour Drive, Britannia Quay and Porth Teigr Way, but extra public transport services will be put in place.
Arriva Trains Wales said extra capacity will be added where possible on expected peak days and Cardiff Bus will be trialling a new electric bus on the number six Baycar service, which will stop at Roath Lock. Extended services will also be operating until 10pm when the race village is open.