In 6 months the Race Village will open
2008-12-16 by Lotta Örtnäs
At this moment the world’s largest Christmas tree stands in the location where in 6 months, 8 Volvo Open 70s will be. – Even though it is Christmas it is full speed ahead here in the project office, says Jonas Wackenhuth, Yacht Service Manager.
- When the Volvo Ocean Race started in Alicante in October, we felt "now the serious work begins". We have been planning for a long time, but the start of the race gives us an extra lift and energy.
One of Jonas tasks is to plan the Race Village and by now he knows every inch of the area. It will be a challenge to see that everything has its place as Skeppsbron is a very long and narrow area.
- We have an overall vision and plan for how the Race Village shall look, so we are looking very closely at the details. Every boat, every pavilion and container must have an exact location.
When the boats come to the Stopover in Stockholm in June 2009, Jonas will be responsible for the teams needs. This includes lifting the boats out of the water, for all practical solutions and the individual requirements of each team.
- Our most important goal is to see that everything functions within the Race Village and it will be a fantastic experience for both visitors and the competing teams. We will also need to find the balance between a spectacular public event in the Race Village and the Competition's momentum, concludes Jonas.
About Jonas Wackenhuth
Born: 1969
Family: Partner and their two children
Lives: Dalarö outside Stockholm
Experience: Professional sailor for 15 years
Sailing Achievements: Amongst many other offshore competitions - Volvo Ocean Race 2001-2002, Americas Cup 2003 and 2007.