Led by the race’s only female skipper, veteran British sailor Dee Caffari MBE, Turn the Tide on Plastic will use on-board data gathering equipment to measure water quality and composition, as well as micro-plastics in some of the world’s remotest oceans. The team is part of the UN Environment’s ‘Clean Seas’ campaign which aims to better understand the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans and inspire people to take action in their day-to-day lives. Since launching in January 2017, Sky … [Read more...] about 50-50 gender split crew from nine different nationalities
The Ocean Race
Standby for Spectacular Sunday Sailing Start
It's finally here – the official start of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 takes place on Sunday afternoon at 14:00 local time in Alicante, Spain (12:00 UTC). And after some short course racing off the beachfront of Alicante, the seven crews will depart on the first leg of a 45,000 nautical mile race around the world. The race opens with a sprint (relatively speaking) from Alicante to Lisbon for Leg 1. It's going to be 1,450nm of flat out action, with the teams fighting for every inch as they … [Read more...] about Standby for Spectacular Sunday Sailing Start
The ultimate test in team sport
The ultimate test in team sport, the Volvo Ocean Race, starts on Sunday, when seven of the best sailing teams in the world cross the starting line off Alicante, Spain. The Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 will test the crews on a 45,000 nautical mile race course, through some of the most challenging waters in the world, including more miles in the extremes of the Southern Ocean. On Friday, the seven skippers faced the international media at the opening press conference. Here’s what they said, in … [Read more...] about The ultimate test in team sport
Our oceans are under attack
“Our oceans are under attack” – Wendy Schmidt The Volvo Ocean Race has used the first of seven Ocean Summits it is hosting around the world in 2017-18 to launch a unique programme that will gather data from parts of the oceans that are otherwise inaccessible to scientists – while the Spanish government pledged its backing for UN Environment’s Clean Seas campaign. Wednesday’s Ocean Summit in Alicante – held four days before the start of the 2017-18 edition of sailing’s 45-year-old race … [Read more...] about Our oceans are under attack
MAPFRE Have That Winning Feeling
The local heroes on Xabi Fernández's MAPFRE were a popular winner in the first point scoring race of the Volvo Ocean Race. Fernández and his team made a bold call at the start to duck behind the entire fleet in order to sail up what turned out to be the favoured right hand side of the course, coming from behind to earn a narrow lead at the first gate. “It was pretty clear from Joan (Vila) and Rob (Greenhalgh) that we wanted to hit the right side of the course in the first upwind looking … [Read more...] about MAPFRE Have That Winning Feeling
VOR Official Points Racing Begins Today
The first official racing of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race will take place on Saturday afternoon with the MAPFRE In-Port Race Alicante, marking the first point-scoring competition of the event. The starting gun will fire at 14:00 local time (12:00 UTC) with seven of the best sailing teams in the world pushing hard to lay down a marker in the first competitive confrontation with points on the table. “You always go out and want to win,” said Bouwe Bekking, skipper of Team Brunel, who will … [Read more...] about VOR Official Points Racing Begins Today
MAPFRE win VOR Prologue
The Spanish MAPFRE team won the Volvo Ocean Race Prologue Leg on Wednesday, holding off a late charge from Team Brunel after Race Management shortened the course, converting the compulsory gate at Cabo de Gata into the finishing line. For skipper Xabi Fernández and his team, it’s a continuation of the success MAPFRE found on Leg 0, where the team was the overall winner of the four-stage leg. “It’s all good on board,” Fernández said shortly after crossing the ‘virtual’ finishing … [Read more...] about MAPFRE win VOR Prologue
Prologue Leg course shortened
The Volvo Ocean Race Prologue Leg has been shortened, with the compulsory gate off Cabo de Gata now becoming the finish line. Race Director Phil Lawrence informed the teams at 0800 UTC on Wednesday morning when the leading boats were approximately two hours from the gate. The teams are currently sailing in winds near 10 knots. But the forecast is for the wind to ease significantly on the other side of the cape. With the shortened course, the fleet is expected to begin arriving in … [Read more...] about Prologue Leg course shortened
MAPFRE leading the charge
The Spanish team made a jump on the rest of the fleet by heading further inshore in search of favourable sea breezes following Sunday's start, with Team Brunel benefiting from following a similar track. Forty-eight hours later, their tactics have paid huge dividends. At the 1300 UTC position update on Tuesday, MAPFRE enjoyed a seven nautical mile lead on Team Brunel, who were themselves almost 40 miles ahead of third-placed Turn the Tide on Plastic. Dee Caffari’s team went from zeroes to … [Read more...] about MAPFRE leading the charge
I would be MORE excited if this was coming to Port Elizabeth!
Can't remember when last I was so excited about covering an event - just received confirmation of media accreditation to the Cape Town stopover for the Volvo Ocean Race. First yacht's are expected to arrive on 27 November with departure for Melbourne on 10 December 2017. Read all about it here: http://mype.co.za/new/2017-18-volvo-ocean-race/94246/2017/10 The Volvo Ocean Race will start from Alicante, Spain on 22 October. The Alicante Race Village is scheduled to open at 1800 local time on … [Read more...] about I would be MORE excited if this was coming to Port Elizabeth!
VOR Prologue Leg Delayed for Better Conditions
The Prologue Leg of the Volvo Ocean Race began on Sunday afternoon, after the start was delayed by just over 2 hours and moved nearly 20 miles south in order to find better racing conditions. The Prologue is a non-scoring race to deliver the seven-boat fleet from The Boatyard in Lisbon, Portugal to the home start port of the Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante, Spain ahead of the race start on 22 October. At the scheduled start time of 1400 local time in Lisbon on Sunday afternoon (1300 UTC), the … [Read more...] about VOR Prologue Leg Delayed for Better Conditions
MAPFRE Dominate Leg Zero
MAPFRE maintained their near-faultless performance in Volvo Ocean Race qualifying – and gave themselves the best possible chance of completing overall victory in the Leg Zero series – as they led the fleet over the finish line on a short opening stage of the final race out of Saint-Malo. MAPFRE maintained their near-faultless performance in Volvo Ocean Race qualifying – and gave themselves the best possible chance of completing overall victory in the Leg Zero series – as they led the … [Read more...] about MAPFRE Dominate Leg Zero
2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race
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