After five years, one of the most anticipated sailing events, The Ocean Race, makes its 12th stop in the Mother City, following its stop in Cabo Verde.
The Ocean Race takes place every four to five years since 1973. This epic event comprises a fleet of five fully crewed IMOCA 60s embarking on a 60,000-kilometre voyage around the world, with some of the best offshore sailors from across the globe competing.
Cape Town will be the first of three “haul out” stops, where the boats will be lifted from the water for maintenance while crews take a break.
Also read: Look: Yacht racers on around-the-world voyage arrive in Cape Town
To commemorate the occasion, a free-to-enter public village, The Ocean Live Park, based at the V&A Waterfront is open daily between 10am and 7pm until Sunday, 26 February.
Spectators at the village will be treated to a lighted boat parade, water sports games, in-port races, recycled art exhibitions, learning programmes for pupils, an ocean conservation puppet show and live music performances at the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre.
“The Ocean Race has provided us with the opportunity to showcase our beautiful oceans, promoting Cape Town to the rest of the world and raising awareness about ocean conservation,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
“It is, therefore, thrilling to welcome back an event which has been a mainstay on our city’s events space for the last 50 years.”
This weekend’s Ocean Live Park activities:
Saturday, 18 February – Ocean Sports Festival
The Ocean Sports Festival is a mini on-water sports event taking place at Quay 6, V&A Waterfront, in the heart of the Ocean Live Park.
- Canoe Water Polo (10am to 3pm)
- SUP Cape Town Sprints (10.30am to 1pm)
- Dragon Boat Trail Racing (1pm to 6pm)
- ATC Triathlon and Multisport Club Swimming Squads (4pm to 5pm)
Saturday, 18 February – Little Optimist Sailing Academy & Trust
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy and Trust use sailing therapy and teach sailing skills to disadvantaged, sick and marginalised children from across the Western Cape, giving them much-needed healing, confidence and joy.
- Learn the basics of sailing (11am to 4pm)
- Movie Night – featuring the documentary OPTIMIST (6pm to 7pm)
Sunday, 19 February – V&A Waterfront Take the Stage presented by MTN
V&A Waterfront Take the Stage series presented by MTN is a platform for emerging South African musicians and musical ensembles to showcase their talents at the Amphitheatre.
Experience these emerging artists live for a series of pop-up performances that began in November and runs until the end of March. It’s free for all to attend, just grab an open seat.
The formidable ensemble comprises some of Cape Town’s finest musicians with a special appearance by Afrika Mkhize on piano. The TRC features Damian Kamineth on drums, Nicholas Williams on bass, Reza Khota on guitar, and Mandla Mlangeni on trumpet.
The Cape Town-based TRC takes original tunes and reinvents nods from their influences to embrace the vibrant underground music scene of drum and bass to Balkanology. Fusing imported sounds and exporting their own flavour, either going into a Ghoema-tinged feel or just improvising around the melody.
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Cape Town teacher to swim from Melkbostrand to Robben Island and back
Picture: City of Cape Town