Volvo Ocean Race leaves Newport

By Dana Griffin

dgriffin@abc6.us-east-1.rayoscms.net

@DanaGriffinABC6

NEWPORT, RI- Six boats competing in the over 44,000 mile, nine–month race have left the U.S. for Portugal. It was the first time ever the Volvo Ocean Race has made a stopover in Newport.

Thousands have watched numerous sailing events in Newport since May 6^th; some traveling from all over the world.

Jo Hintz from Australia said, “Extremely exciting! It’s a marvelous spectacle. You do sport really well here. It’s marvelous.”

Having a front–row seat to the race is inspiring younger sailors like Benjamin Mahoney from the University of South Florida.

Mahoney said, “Oh yeah, it’s definitely a dream to someday get onboard one of these things and go around the world.”

He and most fans in the U. S. are rooting for team Alvimedica– the youngest team with Bristol‘s Charlie Enright and Newport‘s Nick Dana onboard.

The round–the–world race is gone for now, and if the city re-applies, the race could be returning to the Ocean State in three years.

It’s taken two years to plan this event, weeks to set it up, but by Friday everything inside Fort Adams has to go. Crews are working around the clock to break down the pavilion.

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