Date:16/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/16/stories/2008111650820200.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Race Village to be ready by December 1

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Jaisu Shipping and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have joined the Volvo Ocean Race stopover team here as major sponsors.

Cochin Port Trust Chairman N. Ramachandran exchanged agreements on the sponsorship with Santosha Kumar Raulo, project manager of Jaisu Shipping and Yajurvindra Singh Bilkha, head of Indain marketing, TCS, at a function at the Port Trust headquarters here.

The Volovo Ocean Race stopover is hosted by the Cochin Port Trust and Kerala Tourism.

The Port Trust chairman said that preparations for the stopover was progressing as scheduled.

The Race Village will be inaugurated on December 1 as all construction activities will be completed by November 30. The Race Village is spread over 60,000 sq.m. and will have temporary marina for berthing of the race yachts.

There will also be a pavilion of 20,000 sq.m. for Volvo and other international brands. Areas for Ocean Race Experience,

Ocean Race Trade Fest and Ketchup, the biggest food carnival of Kochi will be part of the attractions during the Volvo Ocean Race stopover.

Mr. Ramachandran said the containers carrying the equipment for setting up the pavilions and the Race Village would reach Kochi within a couple of days.

The advance teams from the Volvo Ocean Race is expected in Kochi by Tuesday. The land required for the purpose of setting up the Race Village was developed already.