MPT Kicks Off Riveting Volvo Ocean Race Series Feb. 11
Hosted by renowned sailor Gary Jobson, series chronicles legendary world race

Owings Mills, MD—Craving speed, waves and fierce competition? Get your fix with Maryland Public Television (MPT) as it kicks off the Volvo Ocean Race series Saturday, February 11 at 6 p.m.

Hosted for MPT by world renowned sailor Gary Jobson, the series chronicles the riveting journeys of the Volvo Ocean Race world yacht competition, which kicked off this fall in Spain and will end in Sweden this summer.

The UK-produced, fast-paced program provides weekly race recaps that not only provide technical details for sailing enthusiasts, but show the human side of sailing: the struggles, the triumphs—man on the open seas. MPT, the only broadcast outlet in the United States to run this series, is pleased to offer the program to the great number of sailing enthusiasts in the region.

At 6 p.m. the series kicks off with a recap of the competition’s exciting start from Vigo, Spain; several race entrants suffered devastating equipment failures in the heavy seas during that first leg. At 6:30 p.m. a second installment of the Volvo Ocean Race updates viewers from Melbourne, Australia, the end port of the race’s second leg. The race will continue on, sailing to Rio de Janeiro, Baltimore, New York, England and finally Gothenburg, Sweden for the dramatic finish.

After the Volvo Ocean Race’s in-port races on April 29, MPT will broadcast live from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Host Gary Jobson will interview some of the race’s world-class sailors and its officials. That coverage tops off MPT’s second annual Chesapeake Bay Week, a special week of programming dedicated to boosting public awareness of significant issues surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, April 22 through April 28.

MPT is a leader in the production of broadcast programming for public television. MPT's local/regional television credits include public affairs, original performance, documentary, and entertainment programs for the citizens of Maryland. Beyond broadcast, MPT creates instructional videos, develops training, and builds Internet sites that serve tens of thousands of students, teachers, and child-care providers annually. MPT outreach activities, especially relating to arts, culture, and history, take place in all areas of the state to further fulfill MPT's mission to engage, enlighten, and entertain. For more information on MPT visit www.mpt.org. For this and other press releases, visit the MPT pressroom at http://www.mpt.org/pressroom.