The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2014-15 will be the longest ever, after organisers announced yesterday a route taking in 10 cities in nine countries and lasting almost nine months.

The 12th edition of the round-the-world yacht race will begin in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 4, 2014 and visit Recife (Brazil), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand, Itajai (Brazil), Newport, Rhode Island (United States), Lisbon (Portugal), Lorient (France) and Gothenburg (Sweden), finishing on June 27, 2015.

The full race distance will be 39,895 nautical miles (45,910 miles or 73,885 km).

The previous longest edition, won by French skipper Franck Cammas in 2012, was 39,270 nautical miles.

“This new route means two visits to Brazil just when it is the world capital of sport,” Race CEO Knut Frostad told Reuters.

“To be going there right between the soccer World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in Rio in 2016 is very exciting.”

Frostad described the route as “an immense challenge” for sailors.

“The leg from Recife to Abu Dhabi will be one of the most interesting, diverse and difficult ever sailed in this Race.

“There then follows an incredibly challenging section of the race on the way around Cape Horn before a long overdue visit to Newport and a trip back across the Atlantic to a fantastic three-stop European finish.”