Abu Dhabi’s Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village opens

Coldplay, who will take to a purpose-built stage adjacent to the main village, is organised and promoted by Flash Entertainment and presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).

The Destination Village – the size of eight football pitches – was opened by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, ADTA, which was instrumental in bringing the global yacht race to the UAE capital; Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed bin Saqr Al Nahyan, Chairman, UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation; His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, ADTA; General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director General, Central Operations, Abu Dhabi Police; Salem Rashed Amer Al Romaithi, Vice President, UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation, Knut Frostad, CEO, Volvo Ocean Race and Peter Baumgartner, Commercial Director of Etihad Airways.

Open daily from 11am-11pm, with extended weekend hours, the free-to-the-public Destination Village is the focal point for a wealth of on and off water activities, entertainment, concerts, rides, sailing schools, games and competitions, as well as all the Volvo Ocean Race action, until the six-strong fleet leaves on the third race leg to Sanya, China on 14th January.

“With this hosting we are writing race history as this is the first time the fleet has come to the Arabian Peninsula and that in itself is something to celebrate,” said Al Muhairi. “Added to this, of course, is the fact that we have our own team participating and we are looking to residents and visitors alike to turn out to give Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing a distinctly Arabian and memorable homecoming.

“The hosting of the impressive Volvo Ocean Race fleet gives the destination a compelling opportunity to welcome thousands of sailing fans from around the world who are passionate followers of this event and to clearly demonstrate Abu Dhabi’s excellent credentials as a winter sailing destination. We have great winter weather, warm, clear waters, superb marina facilities and an increasing number of yacht and boat charterers, sailing schools and activities for this high-end market segment to leverage. I hope many of the keen sailors visiting Abu Dhabi for the first time to link up with this superb event discover enough to entice them back to our shores again.”

For Knut Frostad, entry of the race fleet into the Arabian Gulf for the first time in the event’s 38-year history represents the turning of a new chapter in the Volvo Ocean Race impressive annals.

“Abu Dhabi has been nothing short of outstanding in its commitment to the Volvo Ocean Race both in terms of developing a state-of-the-art vessel to compete, in compiling a truly international team and in creating a stunning stopover destination that will serve as a benchmark for many in the future,” said the race CEO.

Throughout the two weeks, a raft of top local and international performers will also woo Abu Dhabi crowds, including global DJs, Little Louie Vega and DIPLO, in free-to-attend concerts.

For sailing fans of all ages, the village is hosting a number of top sailing clinics to give both those new to the sport and seasoned veterans a chance to get involved.

One of the main highlights will be the Abu Dhabi Junior Sailing Festival on the 3 and 4th January, which is being run by Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club (ADYSC).

Comprising a two-day junior sailing course for novice and advanced young sailors, aged between eight and 12 years, the festival will introduce children to the sport and improve the skills of regular young sailors.

In addition, the Volvo Ocean Race has brought a fleet of branded 5.6 metre Ludic dinghies to Abu Dhabi and has invited local children from each of the stopover ports to visit the Destination Village for a day to get out on the water and have some fun as they learn the basics of sailing in a safe and enjoyable environment.

PUMA and ADYSC are running free, on-water activities including, stand-up paddle-boarding clinics, dragonboat races and optimist and laser sailing workshops for kids and adults alike.

And for those not wanting to get out on the water, Volvo Ocean Race has its ‘Life At The Extreme’ exhibition, which includes rides and entertainment that lets fans experience first-hand this ‘Everest of Sailing’.

Top attractions include The Ride, a state-of-the-art simulator that gives the feeling of being onboard a Volvo Open 70 yacht at speed in extreme conditions whilst being bombarded by strong winds and spray; The Dome, a 40 person interactive 3D cinema; The Grinding Challenge, where you can pit your strength against your friends on the pedestal grinders which the crews use onboard Volvo Open 70s; and Air Balls, which gives kids the chance to ‘run’ on water.

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet – which includes the UAE‘s Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team – will also be in action over the fortnight. Expected to arrive Wednesday afternoon, the fleet will compete in the in-port race on the 13th January, the first points scoring competition in Abu Dhabi, as well as for the leg three start on 14th January.

Whilst in the capital, the stunning Volvo Open 70 race yachts, the fastest in the world, will be on display at the Destination Village, allowing fans to get up close to these ultimate sailing machines, and to get behind the scenes and see the shore teams carry out repairs and modifications.

A weekend of traditional dhow racing will also take place over the 6-7th weekend, with more than 130 22 foot and 60 foot dhows competing off the coast for top honours.

Ensuring a buzzing social scene down at the village, ADTA and its stakeholders are also staging a number of entertainment and interactive activities.

A traditional Arabian souk – Souk Al Mamsha – greets village visitors, giving them the opportunity to experience and take home their own piece of Arabia from one of its many market stalls. Cultural performers from the Emirates Heritage Club are providing a glimpse of traditional Emirati culture and lifestyle. Falconry displays, henna tattoo artists, calligraphy demos, and traditional food & drink are all on offer daily within the village entrance exhibition area. Traditional music and dance performances are performed on the Main Stage twice daily in 30-minute peak-time shows.

‘Funking’ it up at the village, the PUMA Ocean Racing Team is making a gargantuan splash with the PUMA Quad and PUMA Social Club – bringing non-stop entertainment to the stopover. Echoing the design of the PUMA Ocean Racing yacht Mar Mostro, the PUMA Quad is a retail space built from four 40 -foot containers, exclusively selling PUMA sailing lifestyle-performance product, with a top deck for entertainment. Linked to the PUMA Quad is the interactive social space of PUMA Social Club: a pop-up venue where PUMA is hosting events and keeping PUMA fans entertained. Other daytime entertainment includes FAAS tests, PUMA Creative Factory sneaker design, T-shirt printing and much more.

Bus shuttle services are available to take visitors to the village and free parking is available at Marina Mall – a short, pleasant walk away from the village.