What is the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09?
The Volvo Ocean Race is quite simply the ‘Everest of Sailing’ with the competing teams sailing across 37,000 nautical miles of the globe’s most treacherous seas. The event will begin in
Continuing to follow the prevailing winds around the globe, the Volvo Ocean Race will take in some new territories when it runs again in 2008-09. Leaving Alicante and then Cape Town, the race track will take the fleet back across the equator to Kochi in India ahead of its arrival in Singapore and the Qingdao in China.
Then it is a long , 12,300 nm haul across the Southern Ocean, around the infamous
It is not difficult to see why this event, which was established in 1973 as The Whitbread Round the World Race, is undeniably the world’s premier global race, and one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world.
The teams comprise 11 professional sports men and women, and to compete requires their utmost skills, physical endurance and competitive spirit as they race day and night for more than four weeks at a time on some legs.
A new design of boat, the Volvo Open 70, was introduced for the 2005-06 event. It was faster and more dynamic than any boat previously sailed in the race. The same, state-of-the-art class of boat, which incorporates cutting-edge safety and performance technology, will be used again in 2008-09.
Throughout the event the crews will experience life at the extreme. No fresh food will be taken onboard so the crews will live off freeze dried food. They will experience temperature variations from -5 to +40 degrees Celsius and will spend up to 30 days at sea with only one change of clothes. They will survive gales and storms and try to avoid potential dangers such as icebergs, ocean debris and whales lurking unseen in the ocean.
There are eight entries in the event:
Delta Lloyd: Skipper Ger O’Rourke IRL Navigator: TBC
Ericsson International; Skipper Torben Grael BRA Navigator Jules Salter GBR
Ericsson Nordic: Skipper Anders Lewander SWE Navigator Aksel Magdahl NOR
Puma Ocean Racing: Skipper Ken Read USA Navigator Andrew Cape AUS
Team Russia: Skipper Andreas Hanakamp Navigator Wouter Verbraak NED
Telefonica Blue: Skipper Bouwe Bekking Navigator Simon Fisher UK
Telefonica Black: Skipper/Patron Fernando Echavarri ESP Navigator Roger Nilson SWE
The Volvo Ocean Race is the ultimate mix of world class sporting competition and on the edge adventure. It is a unique blend of onshore glamour with offshore drama and endurance.