Plans unveiled for Route des Princes yacht race

Exciting plans for the major new yacht race, the Route des Princes, have been unveiled at an international press conference in Paris today.

Ten teams have been confirmed for the race which starts in Valencia on 9 June and will reach Plymouth between 26 June and 29 June. A giant 80 feet maxi yacht will be among the ten enormous multi hulls that will stop over in Plymouth.

Plymouth’s Waterfront Manager Sarah O’Leary was hosted by race organisers OC Sport in Paris and represented the city at the press conference. She said: “The race organisers and teams are really excited about coming to Plymouth. They know we have a spectacular natural harbour and a great track record for hosting these big sailing events.

“There was a lot of interest in Plymouth from the dozens of international media organisations at today’s press conference and it was a great opportunity for us to showcase the city as a prominent European tourist destination.

“Having ten of these incredible yachts in Plymouth will be a fantastic spectacle and we’re expecting the race to attract visitors to the city from across Europe as well the UK.”

Plymouth is the final stopover on the 3045 mile course which will take the multihulls from Valencia to Lisbon, Dublin, Plymouth and then Morlaix. The race is open to catamarans and trimarans measuring at least 50 feet long and has been created by the owners of the huge boats, major figures in European agribusiness and ocean racing.

Councillor Peter Smith, Deputy Leader of Plymouth City Council said: “It will be great to see big multihulls back in Plymouth Sound. Events such as the America’s Cup attracted many thousands of visitors to the city and the Route des Princes will be a really exciting addition to this summer’s event calendar.”

The arrival of the Route des Princes in Plymouth will be part of the Festival of Sail. Brand new for 2013, the exciting programme of events also includes the P1 Powerboats, Armed Forces Day and Plymouth Race Week which are expected to attract tens of thousands of people to Plymouth.