| Volvo Ocean Race Formerly: 'Whitbread Round the World Race'. |
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 (Volvo Ocean Race Logo) |
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| History | |
| Established: | 1973 |
| Headquarters: |  Fareham, Hampshire, UK |
| Sponsors: | 1973 - 2001 Whitbread 2001 - Present Volvo Group |
| Most recent winner: | Ericsson 4  Sweden (2008 - 2009 race) |
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| Start: | October 04, 2008. Alicante, Spain |
| Finish: | June 27, 2009. St Petersberg, Russia |
| Entries: | 8 |
| Legs: | 10 |
| Yachts Used: | Volvo Open 70 |
| Similar Events: | Vendée Globe, VELUX 5 Oceans Race, Global Challenge |
| Websites: | VolvoOceanRace.org VolvoOceanRace.tv |
The Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race) is a yacht race around the world, held every three years.[1] It is named after its current sponsor, Volvo.
Though the route is changed to accommodate various ports of call, the race typically departs Europe in September or October, and in recent years has had either 9 or 10 legs, with in-port races at many of the stopover cities. The current race started in Alicante, Spain, on October 11, 2008.[1] The route for the 2008-2009 race has been altered from previous years to include stopovers in the Middle East and Asia for the first time. [2] This latest route covers nearly 39,000 nautical miles, will take over nine months to complete, and is expected to reach a cumulative TV audience of 2 billion worldwide.[3]
Contents |
History
In 1972 England's Whitbread company and the British Royal Naval Sailing Association agreed to sponsor a globe-circling regatta, which would be called the "Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race”.
17 yachts and 167 crew started the first race of 27,500 nautical miles, which began from Portsmouth, United Kingdom on September 8, 1973. Approximately 3000 spectator boats set out to witness the historic start.[4]
The original course was designed to follow the route of the square riggers, which had carried cargo around the world during the 19th Century. [5]
From 2001 the sponsorship of the race was taken over by Volvo and Volvo Cars and the race was renamed the ‘Volvo Ocean Race’. Stopover ports were added in Germany, France, and Sweden being Volvo's three biggest car markets in Europe.
Winning the race does not attract a cash prize, as the feat of competing is presented as sufficient reward; however Waterford Crystal trophies are awarded to the winners of each leg and the race overall.[6]
The worst weather conditions are usually encountered in the Southern Ocean where waves sometimes top 100 feet (30 m) and winds can reach 60 knots (110 km/h).
The Yachts
The Volvo Open 70 is the current class of racing yachts designed for the Volvo Ocean Race.
Previous Races
| Edition | No. of legs | Starters | Start | Finish | Winning boat | Winning skipper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-74 | 4 | 17 | Portsmouth, UK | Portsmouth, UK |  Sayula II |
Ramón Carlin |
| 1977-78 | 4 | 15 | Southampton, UK | Southampton, UK |  Flyer |
Conny van Rietschoten |
| 1981-82 | 4 | 29 | Southampton, UK | Portsmouth, UK | Flyer |
Conny van Rietschoten |
| 1985-86 | 4 | 15 | Southampton, UK | Portsmouth, UK |  L'Esprit d'Equipe |
Lionel Péan |
| 1989-90 | 6 | 23 | Southampton, UK | Southampton, UK |  Steinlager 2 |
Peter Blake |
| 1993-94 | 6 | 14 | Southampton, UK | Southampton, UK | NZ Endeavour |
Grant Dalton |
| 1997-98 | 9 | 10 | Southampton, UK | Southampton, UK | EF Language |
Paul Cayard |
| 2001-02 | 10 | 8 | Southampton, UK | Kiel, Germany |  Illbruck Challenge |
John Kostecki |
| 2005-06 | 9 | 7 | Vigo, Spain | Gothenburg, Sweden | ABN Amro I |
Mike Sanderson |
| 2008-09 | 10 | 8 | Alicante, Spain | Saint Petersburg, Russia | Ericsson 4 |
Torben Grael |
Future Races
The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race has been confirmed to start in 2011. Details of the exact dates and route will be made available in 2010.[7]
References
- ^ a b Volvo Cars – Volvo Ocean Race
- ^ Volvo Ocean Race 2008 - 2009 Race Schedule
- ^ Volvo Ocean Race 2008 - 2009 Marketing Opportunities
- ^ Volvo Ocean Race: About the Race: Whitbread 1973-1974
- ^ Talk Sailing > The Guide > Volvo Ocean Race
- ^ Volvo Press: On The Water
- ^ Volvo Ocean Race 2008/2009: 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race Confirmed
Official External links
- Volvo Ocean Race - Official site
- Volvo Ocean Race TV - Official Web TV site
- Volvo Ocean Race Mobile Site - Official Mobile site
- Volvo Ocean Race Press Information - Press releases etc
- The Volvo Open 70 Rule - Volvo Open 70 Rule
- Volvo Ocean Race Official Image Gallery - (For Media Use, but browsing is unrestricted)
- Volvo Ocean Race Events Information
Other External links
- Ocean Motion: Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009
- Volvo Ocean Race live reporting and TV footage
- Volvo Ocean Race News and Photos
- Virtual Volvo Ocean Race Game - Official game of the Volvo Ocean Race.
- Volvo Ocean Race forums at 2007ac.com - (oldest VOR forum, est. in 2001 by VOR Media Team forum mgr.)
- Special Coverage of the VOR
- VOR Forum - Sailing Anarchy Forum
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