947 replies to this topic

[baron-pierreIV]

Oh no, Capetown can't be marching to a 2020 SOGs. It's just too soon after 2010!!

[Texas]

baron-pierreIV, on 18 March 2010 - 02:56 PM, said:

Oh no, Capetown can't be marching to a 2020 SOGs. It's just too soon after 2010!!

While that is true, the feeling is that if the FIFA World Cup is successful this summer, then it could play a major factor in the biding for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

[Rafa]

Sailing: Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 - Cape Town selected as first port of call
'Bruce Parker-Forsyth, Cape Town Stopover CEO, Volvo Ocean Race 2011 - 2012' Volvo Ocean Race ©
Cape Town's selection as the first port for the 2011-12 race is a result of a lot of hard work on the part of the stopover organisers in meeting the criteria laid down by the port bidding process introduced for this edition of the race.

The formal bidding procedure began in March 2009 when letters requesting expressions of interest were distributed to potential host ports worldwide. The procurement process was managed independently by The Sports Consultancy.

More than 80 cities submitted expressions of interest in the first phase.

The head of the Cape Town stopover organisation, Bruce Parker-Forsyth, said the bar was set quite high. In an interview with Gybe Talkin', the Volvo sailing podcast, he said: 'Going through the port bidding process and understanding what ports needed to supply to be awarded a stopover, we had to work hard for it and try and convince Volvo that we were still in the frame.'

'You can't rest on your laurels. I know people like coming to Cape Town but the race has its objectives and must meet them so we worked hard on our bid.

'We are extremely excited that the race is coming here again. It's the next big event after the World Cup. The Volvo Ocean Race has become part of the fabric of the society. It's seen as a driver for economic, social and community uplift.'

Race CEO Knut Frostad said that in drawing up the route for the 2011-12 race, there were a number of aspects to be taken into account.

'We have tried to balance the sporting side with the commercial side and the public and entertainment side of the event,' he said.

'I have been careful to ensure that we have a good sporting side that is challenging for the sailors and a route they will enjoy racing.

'We only have ports in the route this time that are 100 per cent enthusiastic and are going to put in resources and effort to create a fantastic stopover.'

The European ports of call, including the finish port, will be the next to be announced and the entire route will be revealed by the end of March.

'Over the coming weeks, we will announce the different cities around the world which we will we visit,' Frostad added. 'That will be spread out until the end of the month.

'We promised our stakeholders, the teams and the sailors that we would have the whole route completed by the end of March. So we are on target.'

www.volvooceanrace.com

[Rafa]

No intention to "derail this thread".

Just on the issue of archery at a cricket venue. Would you suggest Cape Town uses the pavillion in the top left corner (Option 1)? Considering that the mountain is to the right of the image... Or the one to the bottom left corner since it has more suites and probably more suites....and would provide betters views of the mountain..? Or Option 3...softball venue as grandstand with no temporary stands to damage cricket field.



Here are the options:

Option 1:


Option 2:


Option 3:
There is this softball venue, perfectly shaped to host archery temporary stands ala Beijing. Temporary stands can be attached to the sides of permanent softball stands as required.

[Rafa]

Ok blonde moment. Its definitely option 2

[Rafa]

Cape Town International Airport lands 'Best Airport in Africa' award






Anyone who has booked flights to Cape Town may be pleased to learn that the city's airport has recently won two travel awards.
By Southall Travel -Wednesday, March 24, 2010 04:15 PM

People who are set to board flights to Cape Town will no doubt be interested to hear that the city's airport has won two prizes at the Skytrax World Airport Awards.

Cape Town International Airport walked away with the gongs for best airport in Africa and airport staff service excellence.

It is also the only African airport to feature in the Skytrax top 25 airports in the world, in a list which is headed up by Changi Airport in Singapore.

The awards are well timed as thousands of football fans from all over the world are set to travel to South Africa and Cape Town for the World Cup this summer.

Cape Town will play host to five of the group stage matches, as well as a last-sixteen game, a quarter and a semi-final.

Fans lucky enough to have tickets for the final of the tournament will need to travel to Johannesburg on July 11th to discover who will walk away with the coveted trophy.

Written by Erin Marshall

[memorabilia]

Mo Rush, on 24 March 2010 - 01:09 PM, said:

Cape Town International Airport lands 'Best Airport in Africa' award

"Best Airport in Africa".... not too hard to obtain as award....

But what about a comparison with main international airports ? LHR, CDG, AMS, DXB, LAX, ...

[Dinhu4ever]

Well, being in the Top 25 Airports in the world by a site that does reviews of this sort of things looks like a pretty decent thing for me. They even hand out trophies. Seems like a pretty respectful website.

[Rafa]

Absa Cape Epic: Prelude - Robben Island

World's Largest timed Mountain Bike Race

[Rafa]

SA is safer for Brits than Germany
March 25, 2010 Edition 2

Kristen van Schie

SOUTH AFRICA is a safer place for British tourists than Spain, Thailand or even Germany.

A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office report on the period from April 2008 to March 2009 found there were 23 arrests, 23 hospitalisations and 48 deaths, due to either accidents, natural causes, or murder, involving the 451 580 British visitors - and a further 212 000 living here. No rape or sexual assault cases were reported.

This, from a country with a crime rate so high that a British firm, Protektorvest, felt the need to market stab-proof vests to World Cup tourists.

But statistically, Brits were nearly twice as likely to die in Germany than in South Africa.

About 115 000 Britons were living in Germany, with their 2006 World Cup having attracting an extra three million. A total of 438 deaths were reported - nearly 10 times more than in South Africa.




With its reported 761 000 British residents and an extra 17 million British tourists each year, Spain registered 2 290 arrests, 1 825 deaths, 22 rapes and 35 sexual assaults.

There were 28 rapes in Greece, 10 in Cyprus and 8 in Turkey, with a further 28 sexual assault cases for the latter.

Statistically, Thailand was least safe. British tourists were most likely to be arrested for drug offences, most likely to be hospitalised and most likely to die - all in Thailand.

Where South Africa did fall short, however, was in passport theft, with 871 British passports reported lost or stolen in the country during the 12-month period, putting it sixth behind Spain (7 548), the US (3 228), Australia (2 446), France (1 932) and Germany (990).