Volvo Ocean Race formerly 'Whitbread Round the World Race' |
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Established: | 1973 |
| Headquarters: | Alicante |
| Sponsors: | Whitbread (1973–2001) Volvo (2001–Present) |
| Most recent winner: | Ericsson 4 (2008-09) |
| Current Race | |
| Start: | Alicante 29.10.2011 |
| Finish: | Galway 07.07.2012 |
| Entries: | 6 |
| Legs: | 9 |
| Yachts Used: | Volvo Open 70 |
| Similar Events: | Vendée Globe, VELUX 5 Oceans Race, Global Challenge |
| Websites: | www.volvoceanrace.com |
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 owner, Volvo. At this moment the Netherlands holds the record of three wins with the Dutch skipper Conny van Rietschoten being the only skipper to win the race twice.
Though the route is changed to accommodate various ports of call, the race typically departs Europe in October, and in recent editions has had either 9 or 10 legs, with in-port races at many of the stopover cities. The last completed edition of the race started in Alicante, Spain, on October 11, 2008.[1] The route for the 2008-2009 race was altered from previous years to include stopovers in India and Asia for the first time.[2] The 2008-09 route covered nearly 39,000 nmi (72,000 km), took over nine months to complete, and reached a cumulative TV audience of 2 billion people worldwide.[3]
During the nine months of the 2011–12 Volvo Ocean Race, which started in Alicante, Spain in October 2011 and concludes in Galway, Ireland, in early July 2012, the teams are scheduled to sail over 39,000 nmi (72,000 km) of the world’s most treacherous seas via Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, around Cape Horn to Itajaí, Miami, Lisbon, and Lorient.
Each of the entries has a sailing team of 11 professional crew and the race requires their utmost skills, physical endurance and competitive spirit as they race day and night for more than 20 days at a time on some of the legs. They will each take on different jobs on board the boat, and on top of these sailing roles, there will be two sailors that have had medical training, as well as a sailmaker, an engineer and a dedicated media crew member.
During the race the crews will experience life at the extreme: no fresh food is taken on board, so they live off freeze-dried fare; they will experience temperature variations from -5 to +40 degrees Celsius and will only take one change of clothes. They will trust their lives to the boat and the skipper and experience hunger and sleep deprivation.
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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 nmi (50,900 km), 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 ownership 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 Volvo Open 70 is the current class of racing yachts designed for the Volvo Ocean Race.
| Edition | Class | Legs | In-Port Races | Entries | Start | Finish | Winning yacht | Winning skipper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-74 | 32–80 ft (9.8–24 m) | 4 | 0 | 17 | Portsmouth | Portsmouth | Sayula II | Ramón Carlin |
| 1977-78 | 51–77 ft (16–23 m) | 4 | 0 | 15 | Portsmouth | Portsmouth | Flyer | Conny van Rietschoten |
| 1981-82 | 43–80 ft (13–24 m) | 4 | 0 | 29 | Portsmouth | Portsmouth | Flyer II | Conny van Rietschoten |
| 1985-86 | 49–83 ft (15–25 m) | 4 | 0 | 15 | Portsmouth | Portsmouth | L'Esprit d'Equipe | Lionel Péan |
| 1989-90 | 51–84 ft (16–26 m) | 6 | 0 | 23 | Southampton | Southampton | Steinlager 2 | Peter Blake |
| 1993-94 | 85 ft (26 m) ketchs & Whitbread 60 | 6 | 0 | 14 | Southampton | Southampton | NZ Endeavour | Grant Dalton |
| 1997-98 | Whitbread 60 | 9 | 0 | 10 | Southampton | Southampton | EF Language | Paul Cayard |
| 2001-02 | Whitbread 60 | 10 | 0 | 8 | Southampton | Kiel | Illbruck Challenge | John Kostecki |
| 2005-06 | Volvo Open 70 | 9 | 7 | 7 | Vigo | Gothenburg | ABN Amro I | Mike Sanderson |
| 2008-09 | Volvo Open 70 | 10 | 7 | 8 | Alicante | Saint Petersburg | Ericsson 4 | Torben Grael |
| 2011-12 | Volvo Open 70 | 9 | 10 | 6 | Alicante | Galway |
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