The Green Dragon Racing Team arrived in Alicante this morning after its1500-mile delivery trip. Compared to the 2000 mile qualifier, which was rough, wet and all in all a pretty brutal trip, this was a slightly different experience.

The Galway community has begun to rally behind the city's stopover in the Volvo Ocean Race, with news this week that St Mary's College is to help out in the race effort.

The Volvo Ocean Race has confirmed Fan Pier in Boston as the sole North American stopover when the race visits the US East Coast port city in April and May 2009.

Preparations for the Galway stage of the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race kicked off in style last Wednesday with the official launch at the Radisson SAS Hotel. In attendance on the day was Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen TD, who was excited to welcome the race to Irish shores.

The idea of bringing the world's biggest yacht race to Galway had one main aim, according to Chairman of Let's do it Galway, John Killeen: leaving a lasting infrastructure for sailors in the city.

Irish Water Safety will run two 'Introduction to Water Safety' classes in Leisureland swimming pool during National Water Safety Awareness Week, which takes place from Monday, 26 May to Monday, 2 June.

The Volvo Ocean Race, formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, is said to have been conceived in the smoke-filled bar of a yachtsman's pub, becoming the world's greatest ocean race.

1. Eight high-tech, ultra high performance 70-foot yachts will berth and compete in Galway.
2. The Irish entry 'Shamrock Challenger' will sail around Ireland before leaving for Alicante in October where the race kicks off.
3. €8 million was set aside by the Government to support the event, which will bring millions of euro in tourist and crew monies to the city and the West of Ireland.
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The Green Team is the seventh entry into the Volvo Ocean Race, and Ireland's first since the ill-fated NCB Ireland in 1989. Double Olympic medallist Ian Walker will take his place as skipper, while the custom-built Volvo Open 70 has been completed and is currently making its way from China.

Ireland's entry to the Volvo Ocean Race, the country's first entry since NCB Ireland 19 years ago, is known as the Green Team. Like the other aspects of the Irish bid, it has been lead by Galway businessmen John Killeen, Enda O'Coineen and Eamon Conneely, all of whom sit on the board of the syndicate funding the team.