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Tuesday September 18, 5:08 AMSt Petersburg chosen as final stop for Volvo Ocean RaceST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - The Russian port city of St Petersburg has been chosen as the final stop for the Volvo Ocean Race in 2008-09, the event organisers said on Monday.It will be the first time in the race's 34-year history that the fleet will visit a Russian port. "To finish this event in a city so full of culture, heritage and historical intrigue will make a spectacular finale," St Petersburg governor Valentina Matvienko told a news conference. Russia will also have their own entry in the round-the-world race backed by St Petersburg businessman Oleg Zherebtsov. "Russia has made tremendous steps in the last few years in its capacity to host major sporting events and recently won the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi," said Volvo Ocean Race chief executive Glenn Bourke. St Petersburg, Russia's second city, also recently announced that it would bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics after failing in its attempt to secure the 2004 Games. The selection of St Petersburg marks another milestone in the 2008-09 race after the decision to take the marathon offshore odyssey through the Middle East, Southeast Asia, India and China for the first time. The race is scheduled to last nearly 10 months, covering more than 39,000 nautical miles and visiting up to 12 ports. The race has six confirmed entries with crews racing aboard the Volvo Open 70, the world's fastest monohull racing yacht. |
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