Miami, USA, will host the start of the transatlantic leg to Lisbon, Portugal, for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.  Florida has a long association with the event, and this will be the fifth time the state has welcomed the Volvo fleet.

Miami will see the boats arrive after their charge north from the Brazilian port of Itajai. The race village will be located at Bicentennial Park, on the Biscayne Bay, in the heart of Downtown Miami. It is a 29-acre, open park which is suited for major events.

“The Volvo Ocean Race is by far the world’s premier global race. It’s a great honour to have Miami selected as a featured stopover,” said Commission Chairman Marc Sarnoff. Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad, added, “We are very confident Miami will deliver a first class event for us in the spring of 2012 and the people of Florida will welcome us to their shores once again.”

For more, visit www.volvooceanrace.com