Volvo Ocean Race – The Abu Dhabi Stopover

Abu Dhabi was the host of the third 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race stopover from December 12, 2014 until January 3, 2015. The In-Port Race took place on January 2, 2015, with the fleet departing for Sanya, China the following day. The stopover, which coincided with the New Year 2015 holiday, featured a fan-friendly Destination Village activation on the Corniche breakwater and multiple concert and entertainment offerings

Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 cames to Abu Dhabi for the third stopover race.
The toughest ocean race known to man, Volvo Ocean Race took place in 11 cities in 11 countries and covers nearly 72,000 kms over 9 months. As the Volvo Ocean Race roared into Abu Dhabi, four centuries worth of maritime heritage reunites with the greatest ocean adventure of today.

The Volvo Ocean Race started on October 4 2014 with the first In-Port Race in Alicante, and finishes with a final In-Port Race on June 27, 2015 in Gothenburg, the Swedish home of Volvo. As the host of the third 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race stopover from December 12, 2014 until January 3, 2015 the UAE capital welcomed the fleet from Cape Town, South Africa after travelling for around three weeks, covering more than 6,000 nautical miles.

In-Port Race

The race features In-Port Races in all of the 10 stopovers. These one-hour races are short and action packed, providing you with a great show and giving the teams an opportunity to gain valuable points for the In-Port Race series.

The In-Port Race at Abu Dhabi took place on January 2, 2015, with the fleet departing for Sanya, China the following day. The stopover, which coincides with the New Year 2015 holiday, featured a fan-friendly Destination Village activation on the Corniche breakwater and multiple concert and entertainment offerings.

Azzam

Azzam, which means ‘determination’ in Arabic is the name of The Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. Skippered by Britain’s double-Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker, the race crew includes the only Emirati helmsman and trimmer Adil Khalid.

Destination Village
Located on the Corniche Breakwater, the Destination Village is open every day of the 23-day stopover and will be a fantastic festival of sailing, entertainment, watersports, heritage and family fun! From Lebanese singing sensation Myriam Fares, the BBC’s ‘Blue Planet’ in Concert and the Birmingham City Symphony Orchestra, right through to the Abu Dhabi Paddling Festival, Dragon Boat and Dhow Racing, as well as a garden hospitality area, open air cinema and a kids zone – there really is something for everyone.

Entrance was completely free and there were special welcome gifts on offer for the first visitors through the gates on the 12th.

Concerts

Blue Planet – Dec 12 & 13
BBC World’s highly acclaimed ‘Blue Planet in Concert’ opened the Stopover led by celebrity conductor George Fenton and a spectacular 75-piece orchestra.

Birmingham City Symphony Orchestra – Dec 15
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, one of Britain’s most innovative ensembles, took to the Destination Village's floating Skyline Stage to perform a modern classical programme built around British composers, Britten and Elgar.

Hamdan al Abri & Funk Radius – Dec 23

UAE-born soul sensation Hamdan al Abri took to the floating Skyline Stage along with his band, Funk Radius, for an evening performance of their signature funk-soul hits. Entrance to the concert was free and the band performed three 45-minute sets of original music and covers.

Jalsah Live! – Dec 26
One of the Arab world’s biggest stars, Myriam Fares headlined ‘Jalsah Live!’ – the traditional Emirati ‘majlis’ music gathering, which took place on the unique Skyline Stage.

Lulu Project – Dec 27
Part of the Emirati Day Festival, the Lulu Project included a collaborative live performance between Emirati folkloric group ‘Sokoor Al Magabeel’ and the multi-talented Jordanian composer and fusion artist, Kamal Mussallam.