Governor Gina Raimondo announced today that Newport has been chosen as an official stopover for the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race.
The announcement, made at the Rhode Island State House with Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello,Volvo Ocean Race Chief Operating Officer Tom Touber and Brad Read, executive director of Sail Newport, highlighted the success of the May 2015 Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Newport which brought $32 million to the state’s economy (when that money was spent and respent at local businesses, the total economic impact was $47.7 million.) 131,346 people visited the Race Village at Fort Adams, with another 15,000 spectators on the harbor.
“We’re delighted to be able to confirm that Newport will be staging a second consecutive stopover in 2018,” said Race COO, Tom Touber, at Friday’s official announcement.
“Everything worked brilliantly in Newport in May thanks to the great work of Brad Read and his team plus the backing of the Governor, legislative leaders and State of Rhode Island agencies, and we were delighted with the large amount of spectators from our major fan base in the U.S. and elsewhere, who supported the stopover.
“Moreover, the Newport stopover was greatly valued by our stakeholders, who very much enjoyed visiting the area for its history, culture and, of course, the commercial opportunities it provided.”
“Rhode Island looks forward to welcoming back the Volvo Ocean Race in 2018, and we’re honored to be among this list of world-class port destinations,” said Governor Raimondo. “This year’s event was a great success, drawing more than 130,000 fans from across the U.S. and abroad. We look forward to once again showcasing Rhode Island as a great place to visit – and do business.”
#VORNewport is coming back to RI in 2018! Newport will be the only North American stopover!
— Gina Raimondo (@GinaRaimondo) October 30, 2015
Last May, Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad said “I’ve been to an American stopover seven times now and can’t recall anything as good as this.”
spectators watch the in-port racing during the May 2015 VOR stopover in Newport.
“Sail Newport, the Department of Environmental Management, and State Leadership, together with all of our outstanding partners, organized and hosted the most successful North American stopover in Volvo Ocean Race history,” said Brad Read, executive director of Sail Newport.
“We did this as a non-profit organization combined with a whole lot of community heart and passion because we knew the event would be a remarkable success.”
Read continued: “I believe strongly that tourists, fans, sponsors and media will travel from all over the world to Rhode Island to be part of the next Newport stopover.
“Everyone wants the Race back here. The State, the marine, business, education communities, and fans, will follow the Race until it arrives back at Castle Hill in 2018.”
