Boston

ariel view of Boston cityscapeMagnify

EVENTS CALENDAR

For more information on the Boston stopover, visit the Volvo Ocean Race at Fan Pier Boston on Facebook.

KEY DATES
Leg 6 was won by Ericsson 4 at 21:05 GMT, 26 April 2009 after 15 days, 10 hours, 30 minutes and 54 seconds of sailing. The Boston in-port race took place on the 9th May 2009, Telefonica Blue emerged the overall winner on the day, more information about the days racing can be found on the Boston in-port race page.

Leg 7 Start: 16/05/2009 13:00 (Local Time). Visit the Leg 7 schedule page for more information on following the race start live.

RACE VILLAGE OPENING TIMES
The race village will be open from 25th April until 16th May - opening times:
Monday to Thursdays: 10:00 - 22:00
Friday: 10:00 - 00:00
Saturdays: 09:00 - 00:00
Sundays: 09:00 - 22:00

DAILY ENTERTAINMENT

Saturday 25/04/2009
10:00 - 15:00 Massachusetts Bay High School Invitational: at the Inner Harbour
15:30 -16:00 Massachusetts Bay High School Invitational Awards Ceremony: on the Fan Pier Stage
11:00 - 22:00 Race Village Street Entertainment: with roving musicians and street performers at the Fan Pier, water's edge
17:00 - 00:00 Live Musical Entertainment: on the Fan Pier Stage

Sunday 26/04/2009
07:00 - 16:00 Youth Optimist Regatta: you can watch the youth dinghy sailing at Inner Harbour
11:00 - 22:00 Race Village Street Entertainment: with roving musicians and street performers at the Fan Pier, water's edge
15:30 - 16:00 Youth Optimist Regatta Awards Ceremony: on the Fan Pier Stage
15:00 - 19:00 Live Musical Entertainment: on the Fan Pier Stage

Monday 27/04/2009
Estimated Yacht Arrivals

Thursday 30/04/2009
17:00 - 20:00 Live Musical Entertainment: on the Fan Pier Stage

Friday 01/05/2009
18:00 - 00:00 City of Boston Welcome Celebration: cultural and entertaining parade through the City of Boston to the Race Village
17:00 - 22:00 Race Village Street Entertainment: with roving musicians and street performers at the Fan Pier, water's edge
19:00 - 23:00 Live Musical Entertainment: on the Fan Pier Stage

Saturday 02/05/2009
09:00 - 23:00 City of Championships Weekend
09:00 - 16:00 College National Championship Semi Finals: at the Inner Harbour
10:00 - 17:00 Boston Sports Exhibition: located in the Race Village
11:00 - 22:00 Race Village Street Entertainment: with roving musicians and street performers at the Fan Pier, water's edge
Live Musical Entertainment: on the Fan Pier Stage. Timings TBC

Sunday 03/05/2009
09:00 - 23:00 City of Championships Weekend
09:00 - 16:00 College National Championship Semi Finals: at the Inner Harbour
10:00 - 17:00 Boston Sports Exhibition: located in the Race Village
11:00 - 22:00 Race Village Street Entertainment: with roving musicians and street performers at the Fan Pier, water's edge
Live Musical Entertainment: on the Fan Pier Stage. Timings TBC

Tuesday 05/05/2009
17:00 - 20:00 Cinco de Mayo Event: activities to be held in the Race Village with a Mexican theme! Including a Burrito Eating Contest

Thursday 07/05/2009
16:00 - 18:00 Volvo Open 70 Model Boat Circuit: find out more about the Volvo Open 70s replica's used in the race

Friday 08/05/2008
20:00 - 00:00 In-Port Race Weekend Kick Off Concert: on the Fan Pier Main Stage 

Saturday 09/05/2009
09:00 - 00:00 Scouts Day: it's the Scouts Day at the Race Village with a day full of activities
09:00 - 17:00 In-Port Race of the Volvo Ocean Race. Where the power and performance of the Volvo Open 70 can be seen up close and personal
11:00 - 22:00 Race Village Street Entertainment: with roving musicians and street performers at the Fan Pier, water's edge
19:00 - 00:00 Live Musical Entertainment: on the Fan Pier Stage
15:30 - 17:30 In-Port Race prize giving: on the Main Stage
09:00 - 15:00 Laser Regatta: watch the laser dinghy racing at Inner Harbour

Sunday 10/05/2009
10:00 - 16:00 Pro-Am race day of the Volvo Ocean Race, come and watch the racing up close
09:00 - 13:00 Youth Optimist Regatta: come and watch the optimist dinghy racing at Inner Harbour
13:30 - 14:00 Youth Optimist Regatta Awards Ceremony: watch the award ceremony on the Fan Pier Stage
11:00 - 22:00 Race Village Street Entertainment: with roving musicians and street performers at the Fan Pier, water's edge
12:00 - 14:00 Cooking Demonstrations: with guest chef Barbara Lynch on Fan Pier Stage

Wednesday 13/05/2009
09:00 - 12:00 Good Food Ireland: taste a part of Ireland located in the Tourism Ireland Pavilion
10:00 - 12:00 Ireland Waterfront Festival: in the Race Village
17:00 - 20:30 Fan Pier / CPYC Big Boat Evening Regatta: watch the regatta racing at Inner Harbour and the Prize Giving

Thursday 14/05/2009
09:00 - 12:00 Good Food Ireland: taste a part of Ireland located in the Tourism Ireland Pavilion
10:00 - 12:00 Ireland Waterfront Festival: in the Race Village
16:00 - 18:00 Volvo Open 70 Model Boat Circuit: find out more about the Volvo Open 70s replica's used in the race

Friday 15/05/2009
09:00 - 12:00 Good Food Ireland: taste a part of Ireland located in the Tourism Ireland Pavilion
10:00 - 12:00 Ireland Waterfront Festival: in the Race Village

Saturday - 16/05/2009
09:00 - 12:00 Good Food Ireland: Taste a part of Ireland - located in the Tourism Ireland Pavilion
10:00 - 12:00 Ireland Waterfront Festival: in the Race Village
11:15 Departure Ceremony
13:00 Leg 7 Start

ABOUT BOSTON

For more information on the Boston stopover, visit the Volvo Ocean Race at Fan Pier Boston on Facebook.

KEY DATES
Estimated Yacht arrivals: 27 April 2009
In Port Race: 9 May 2009 1300hrs (Local Time)
Leg 7 Start: 16 May 2009 1300hrs (Local Time)

Boston may have shaken off its Puritanical roots over the last several centuries, but it hasn’t lost hold of its sense of history. If anything, the more the city has progressed and embraced global sophistication, the more it has clung to its traditions and original character.

Take, for example, the red-bricked sidewalks and townhouses of Charles Street on Beacon Hill, Downtown, Back Bay, and the South End –- they’re testimony to its colonial beginnings, as are the city’s historic monuments and plentiful public parks like Boston Common.

Once the place for all to graze their cows, it’s still the focal point of activity in the city proper – though visitors of the livestock ilk are shunned these days.

The 19th century in Boston internationalized the city via the influence of city’s Brahmin’s merchant class –- still honored in Boston’s myriad museums, from The Museum of Fine Arts and The Boston Museum of Science to small charmers like The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Harvard University, performing arts groups, Boston Ballet and Boston Symphony Orchestra, and public lecture series at Cambridge Forum.

While dining out in Boston used to mean mostly humble and homey New England dishes (not for nothing did it become known as “the home of the bean and the cod”), these days it can mean anything from pan-Asian and sushi (for which New Yorkers have been known to make day trips) and organic farm-to-table menus to nouveau steakhouses.

Shopping has also joined the ranks of some of the best and most creative retail houses in the world. On Back Bay’s Newbury Street, big-name houses like Valentino and Armani sit side-by-side with eccentric home décor and curio shops.

And all over town, behind unique shops selling everything from clothing by up-and-coming fashion designers, galleries selling local and international artists’ works, and modish salons pressing tresses into styles both classic and up-to-date – a combination of old and new that’s embraced heartily by the city itself.

THINGS TO DO

For more information on the Boston stopover, visit the Volvo Ocean Race at Fan Pier Boston on Facebook.

The Public Garden
Between Charles and Arlington Streets, Boston.
The first botanical garden in the United States, this enclave in the centre of the city is home to beautifully-kept flower beds and tress, plenty of picnicking space, and the famed Swan Boats.

Stil
170 Newbury St., Boston, 617-859-7845.
Lovers of cutting-edge fashion have a hard time resisting the tiny boutique’s admirable mix of young designers’ pieces, classic party frocks, and accessories straight from Copenhagen studios.

Sorrelina
1 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-412-4600.
The starkly beautiful décor will lure you in; the splendid handcrafted pastas and melt-in-your-mouth desserts will lure you back.

Gretta Luxe
Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-536-1959.
Find all the best brands here – from Chloe and Michael Kors to Yigal Azrouel and Zac Posen – all artfully put together by an expert staff.

Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail Foundation, 99 Chauncy St., Boston, 617-357-8300.
16 sites that trace the early history of The American Revolution, from the Boston Massacre to the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston, 617-566-1401.
An eclectic and truly impressive collection of international paintings, sculptures, and tapestries, collected by 19th century arts patron Isabella Stewart Gardner and shown in what was once her palatial, Italian-style home.

The Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave., Boston, 617-478-3100.
The latest addition to Boston’s impressive roster of museums, this one is a masterpiece of sleek glass design on the waterfront, filled with cutting-edge visual and conceptual art.

Harvard University
University Hall, Harvard Square, Cambridge, 617-495-1000.
The venerable (and first college in America) is still the top dog among the country’s colleges. It’s also a beautiful, leafy campus to stroll, surrounded by fun shops and restaurants. Tours can also be arranged.

Bokx 109
Hotel Indigo, 399 Grove St., Newton, 617-454-3399.
A funky and whimsical retro-meets-sleek contemporary steakhouse inspired by the groovy ‘70s pads of Las Vegas. Look for incredible cuts of meat, and homemade cotton candy treats for dessert.