The Brazilian city Itajaí, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, will be the South American stopover for the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. The Volvo fleet has visited Brazil on six prior occasions, but this is a first for Itajaí.

The Race Village will be situated around the port, located on the mouth of the Itajaí-Acu River, near a large metropolitan area and close to the beach resort of Camboriú.

In 2005-06, Brazil’s debut entry in the Volvo Ocean Race finished a creditable third place, crewed predominantly by Brazilian athletes. This was followed by success for Brazilian Olympic medallist, Torben Grael, who drove Ericsson 4 to victory in 2008-09.

Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, and team member of the 2005-06 Brasil 1 project, commented: “We are pleased to confirm Itajaí’s inclusion in our race around the world.  After rounding Cape Horn, our racing teams will truly appreciate the warm welcome that Brazil is famous for, and it will be the perfect place for the crews to regain their strength after such a testing leg in the Southern Ocean.” 

For more, visit www.volvooceanrace.com