OCEAN RACE
Cape Town is once again playing host to the prestigious Ocean Race (previously known as the Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race), providing a massive cash injection into the local economy.
The V&A says the Race translates into a R500-million windfall in terms of tourism and business investment. The 60 000km Ocean Race features five fully-crewed IMOCA 60s which left Cabo Verde earlier this month and will depart Cape Town on February 26.
V&A Waterfront CEO, David Green said that the Ocean Race’s presence at the Waterfront has been a catalyst for the evolution around the potential of what the oceans economy can look like for the Western Cape, and South Africa.
Green said: “Because of our extraordinary location, at the gateway to the Southern Oceans, the ocean is at the heart of the V&A Waterfront’s vision, and we have adopted the mutually reinforcing goals of growing the opportunities relating to the ocean economy, including creating jobs, while developing and exercising best-practice ocean stewardship.”