#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - In the latest video update following the construction of the VOR 65, Volvo Ocean Race’s Rick Deppe visits USA, Italy and France for an all-round catch-up on the progress of the new one-design.

In Annapolis, Maryland, Farr Yacht Design president Patrick Shaughnessy explains how the American naval architecture office responsible for the new boat is working on achieving “the world’s best one-design” along with the four boatyards involved in the building.

Meanwhile in Persico, Italy, the hull mould is currently being laminated, while the deck mould is taking shape at French boatyard Multiplast in Vannes.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, fans of the Volvo Ocean Race should expect a "very forward thinking" design when the finished boat is finally unveiled ahead of the next edition of the round-the-world race.

#IRISH SAILING - Irish Sailing Association (ISA) chief executive Harry Hermon took time out from the ISAF annual conference in Dublin this week to talk to Sport for Business about the growth of sailing in Ireland.

“2012 has been in many ways a breakthrough year for the sport,” he said. “We hosted so many major events during the year, from the Volvo Ocean Race finale in Galway to the World Youth Championships on Dublin Bay and of course it was an Olympic year and we had our strongest performance for many years.”

Aside from building on commercial partnerships, Annalise Murphy's near-medal-winning performance at the London Olympics was a boon for the profile of sailing in the public's imagination, and Hermon intends for the ISA to capitalise on this in the years to come, both for the Rio Games in 2016 and beyond.

“20,000 young people are coming through certified courses each year and staying with the sport," he said. "In addition we are reaching out to tens of thousands more through multi-activity camps ‘on the water’ around the coastal and inland waterways that are such an attribute in Ireland.

“We have a sport that enables 18-year-olds to race alongside their grandparents and few can offer such a crossover appeal.”

Sport for Business has much more on the story HERE.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Fans of the Volvo Ocean Race should expect a "very forward thinking" design for the new 65-foot one-design planned for the next two editions of the round-the-world challenge.

"The overwhelming impression will be of a top-level grand prix racing boat," says Patrick Shaughnessy, president of Farr Yacht Design - the company responsible for the new design.

"When you come down the dock you're gonna see a boat that's really cool," he adds. "The stem shape has been styled to be emotional, forward looking and be relevant for years to come so it's a boat that's exciting and modern and it's gonna be iconic."

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the new design will also be lighter and safer, putting less on an emphasis on physical strength, and paving the way for women's teams to be competitive in the race once again.

The €4.5-million VOR 65 is currently being designed at Farr's facility in Annapolis, Maryland in the USA. The company's progress has been recorded in a series of videos posted on YouTube.

Sail World has more on the story HERE.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Cardiff in Wales is submitting a bid to host the 2017-2018 edition of Volvo Ocean Race, as yourCardiff reports.

The city's council has signed off on £3 million (€3.7 million) plans to host a stopover on the race route, bidding alongside a shortlist of 30 other cities ahead of an official decision by the race authorities in December.

Cardiff's bid is subject to confirmation of support from the Welsh government and the Cardiff Harbour Authority to cover the costs of the race village, entertainment and media facilities, and management of the race itself over a proposed two-week stopover.

It's estimated that the VOR could bring in millions to the city's economy and "expand Cardiff's reputation as an event city by hosting one of the most important sailing events in the world", according to a report submitted to the council.

The news comes days after organisers of this summer's Volvo Ocean Race finale in Galway postponed their decision on making a third bid to host the race, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Let's Do It Global said the move was to enable the group to concentrate on paying off its outstanding debts of €400,000 which it says were incurred in the wake of "adverse weather" and increased security costs due to the "outstanding success of the event".

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - The organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race finale in Galway have hit out at media reports that the city will not put in a bid to host a stopover for a third time in 2014-2015.

According to the Galway Independent, Let's Do It Global have said the decision on making a bid has been "postponed" for the time being while the group concentrates on paying off its outstanding debts

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, €400,000 is owed to some 60 suppliers by Let's Do It Global, who themselves are owed in the region of €170,000 from various debtors.

Hopes that Minister for Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar would step in to make up the shortfall were dashed last weaken when he ruled out any Government bailout, pointing to the substantial funding already provided via Fáilte Ireland.

A spokesperson for Let's Do It Global told the Galway Independent that cost-cutting measures were reviewed at a meeting with stakeholders on Monday, with the "outstanding success of the event and adverse weather" being highlighted as reasons behind the budget over-run.

The Galway Independent has more on the story HERE.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Minister for Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar has ruled out any Government bailout to cover the €400,000 in debts owed by organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race finale in Galway, as the Galway City Tribune reports.

Some 60 suppliers have not yet been paid by organisers Let's Do It Global, who are set to meet with stakeholders this coming Monday to discuss the situation.

The race organisers are themselves owed in the region of €170,000 from their own debtors, but even if collected this would cover less than half the value of their own debt.

Hopes that Minister Varadkar might step in to make up the shortfall were dashed on Wednesday when, speaking to Galway Bay FM, he confirmed that the event already received State funds through its sponsorship by Fáilte Ireland, and that as his own department was operating at a deficit no other funding was available.

A spokesperson for his department added that the Fáilte Ireland sponsorship "was the biggest allocation to any tourism event in 2012".

The news all but rules out the potential third bid to host the event, at least for the foreseeable future.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - The organisers of this summer's Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Galway are set to hold meetings with stakeholders in what Galway Bay FM calls a 'last ditch' effort to make a third bid to host the event.

Let's Do It Global will meet in the coming weeks with Galway City Council, Galway Port officials, publicans, hotel owners and the media with a view to drumming up much needed financial support for a bid submission, the deadline for which is the end of this month.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Galway City Council has already announced it is not in a position to underwrite the bid, leading Let's Do It Global to describe its application as "unlikely" without a "different mechanism" of funding support like the city or state partnerships in other host ports.

Organisers have also questioned the will at Government level to back up their hosting of the round-the-world yacht race, despite expressions of support and assurances from Galway TDs.

Meanwhile, the organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race are currently recruiting for a brand and marketing managers to join their commercial team in Alicante as plans build up steam for the next edition of the race in 2014/2015.

Full details of the postion are available on the Volvo Ocean Race website HERE.

#GALWAY BAY NEWS - The Connacht Sentinel reports that a series of steel piles in the River Corrib in Galway city centre are to be removed over concern at the danger posed to canoeists and kayakers.

The eight stanchions, which were installed at the mouth of the Corrib as part of the support structure for the temporary pedestrian bridge across the river during the Volvo Ocean Race finale last month, will be removed "as soon as possible" according to Galway City Council.

A spokesperson for the council said race organisers Let's Do It Global had encountered difficulties removing the steel piles from the stretch of water between the Spanish Arch and Claddagh Quay due to "unfavourable tides and poor weather".

Meanwhile, the Galway Harbour Company has declared that it made more profit from its car parking operation than from harbour activities.

Galway Bay FM reports that the company's accounts for 2011 show that more than 50% of its income is derives from car parking and rent.

Overall the harbour operator saw an 8% fall in revenue on the previous year, with a disappointing 18% drop in throughput. No comment has yet been made on these figures.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - The official film of the latest edition of the Volvo Ocean Race - which had its finale in Galway last month - has been posted on YouTube.

Originally broadcast in late July on TG4, the documentary takes a look back at the 2011/2012 race as the boats left Alicante last October, sailing around the world and visiting ports and cities such as Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, Itajaí, Miami, Lisbon, Lorient and Galway. 

Delving into the world’s premier global race and one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world, VOR bosses say the film gets close to the action in the ultimate mix of world class sporting competition and on-the-edge adventure, a unique blend of onshore glamour with offshore drama and endurance.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race will feature an all-woman crew for the first time since 2002, the Galway Advertiser reports.

The first team to declare for the race - which kicks off in Alicante two years from now - is backed by the Sweden-based global paper products company SCA, and will take delivery of the first new one-design boat for the race in 2013.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the new design VOR 65 - priced at €4.5 million, about 20% less expensive than the 70-footer that ended its run in Galway this summer - was developed with the idea of reducing the costs of competing in the gruelling round-the-world yacht race.

Another benefit of the new shorter, lighter design is that it puts less of an emphasis on physical strength, meaning that woman can once again be competitive in the race.

All-female crews in the next edition of the race will be allowed two extra crewmembers under VOR race rules.

"I'm very pleased to see a women's team back in the race," said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. "The lack of women in the last few editions of the race has meant we haven't been representing half the population of the human race."

According to France24, four all-women teams have taken part in the race since 1973, when it was known as the Whitbread Round the World Race, but the physically demanding VOR 70 introduced in 2005 effectively pushed women out of the contest.

The SCA team is expected to be one of at least eight taking part in the next edition of the race, although it is unlikely that Galway will see its return in the near future.

The Galway Advertiser has more on the story HERE.