The Volvo Ocean Race returns to centre stage less than three months after the spectacular finish of the 2014-15 edition when it brings its special brand of exciting racing, shows and public events to the Genoa Boat Show from September 30 to October 5 (full story below).

– Race to bring Cinema and Volvo Ocean 65 Cross Section to Genoa Boat Show

– Nicholson and Greenhalgh set to go head-to-head once more

– Race partners Persico spearhead Italian marine presence

MILAN, Italy, September 15, 2015 – The Volvo Ocean Race returns to centre stage less than three months after the spectacular finish of the 2014-15 edition, when it brings its special brand of exciting racing, shows and public events to the Genoa Boat Show from September 30 to October 5.

Team SCA and Team Vestas Wind will go head-to-head again on a series of Pro-Am races on Wednesday, September 30, Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2, while on the following Saturday, they will be starring in the traditional Genoa Boat Show fleet race.

The Genoa Boat Show will offer a rare chance out of race-time for the fans and visitors to see the ocean racers sail just metres from the city’s seafront and meet some of the sailors who have written the latest pages of the race’s 42-year history.

Team Vestas Wind will sail in Genoa under Chris Nicholson as skipper and Nicolai Sehested as Boat Captain. Returning with Team Vestas Wind sailors to sail the Vestas Wind is local Italian sailor Alberto Bolzan, and Volvo Ocean Race veteran, Phil Harmer.

Several members of the shore crew and guests, some of whom will commission the boat and sail from Alicante to Genoa the weekend prior to the Genoa Boat Show, will also accompany the team.

Having reached the end of his first Volvo Ocean Race in June, young Danish sailor Sehested has been busy participating in several high-level sailing competitions, motivating him to re-join his Volvo Ocean Race crew and sponsor, Vestas, for more exhilarating sailing in the team’s Volvo Ocean 65.

“The experience gained with Team Vestas Wind is unforgettable – a bittersweet tale of hard work and team effort with a positive conclusion,” said Sehested.

“I felt proud of what we all achieved, both onboard the blue boat and behind the scenes. I have grown as a professional sailor and as a person, and I’m delighted to be going back to Genoa with some world-class sailors and friends, representing Vestas and giving something back to our Italian fans.”

Libby Greenhalgh, British navigator of Team SCA, will help lead a team from the women’s crew against Nicholson, Sehested and the rest of the Team Vestas Wind line-up.

“It will be great to be back racing again and being part of the Genoa Boat Show – attending the busiest Boat Show in the Mediterranean is a fitting way to cap off the summer,” she said.

“Eight crew from the Team SCA squad will be in Genoa and we are all looking forward to whatever new opportunities come our way, while continuing to promote women both in the Volvo Ocean Race and in the wider sport of sailing.

“Locking horns with Team Vestas Wind again will be one of the highlights – as well as meeting some of the Italian Team SCA fans!” added Greenhalgh.

The Genoa Boat Show will also give the visitors the opportunity to visit the Cross Section, a full size, and completely equipped Volvo Ocean 65 half model.

They will get a real taste of what it’s like to be inside one of the world’s fastest and most powerful offshore boats. The Cross Section was one of the most popular attractions during the nine-month event, which finished on June 27, with nearly half a million people ‘jumping on board’.

The public will also be captivated by the shows in the Dome cinema, a huge structure that hosts a movie theatre showing high definition videos on the race and life at sea.

On the Saturday morning, fans will also have the opportunity to meet the sailors and the race organisers during a Q&A event at the Teatro del Mare, and on weekend days (October 3-4), the two boats will be open to the public for guided tours.

The Genoa Boat show will also showcase Italian excellence in the international sail racing and marine industry.

Leading the way in Genoa will be Alberto Bolzan, the only Italian sailor to take part in the 2014-15 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race as helmsman and tactician on Turkish/American flagged Team Alvimedica.

Persico Marine, the Bergamo-based shipyard that was part of the European consortium that built the first seven boats, will represent the Italian marine industry. Persico recently secured a contract for the production of any new, one-design Volvo Ocean 65s that will be commissioned to compete in the next edition of the race.

Also present in Genoa will be hydraulics specialist Cariboni, rope maker Gottifredi Maffioli and deck hardware producer Harken.

Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad, said: “I’m really looking forward to meeting some of our fans at this wonderful show. Italy has always been a massive supporter of the race and we’re delighted to be bringing a real taste of it to their waters.”

Save the date, come and meet the Volvo Ocean Race at the Genoa Boat Show from September 30 to October 5.

via Volvo Ocean Race rivals line up for new skirmishes in Genoa| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Marilyn and Alan retire from Marlow

24 Sep 2015

Marilyn and Alan spent 47 years and 46 years respectively at Marlow – photo: Marlow Ropes Ltd

RETIREMENT: September 18th saw the retirement of two long serving employees from of Marlow Ropes in Hailsham.

Marilyn and Alan Kitcher retired from Marlow after 47 years and 46 years respectively

Marilyn started at Green Brothers in 1968 (then part of the Hawkins and Tipson group, along with Marlow) and met Alan who started a year later.

In 1973 the couple married and were soon both transferred to work at Marlow.

Since that time they have both seen many changes but continued to be loyal, hard working and diligent members of the team, helping Marlow to maintain its world wide reputation for quality and service.

Marilyn and Alan (who are keen travellers) will be sorely missed by the whole team at Marlow.

via Boating Business – Marilyn and Alan retire from Marlow.

Ocean Safety set for Open Day28 Sep 2015The free Open Day will be held between 10am and 4pm on 17 October 2015OPEN DAY: Ocean Safety is holding an Open Day at its new 5,000ft² facility in Plymouth to show visitors how to operate and care for their safety gear.The free Open Day, which will be held between 10am and 4pm on 17 October 2015, is open to anyone who owns equipment including liferafts, lifejackets and man overboard recovery Jonbuoys.Equipment can be taken along to be inflated and fully serviced by Ocean Safety’s service technicians, as long as a booking is made in advance.Visitors can also talk to Ocean Safety’s qualified engineers about servicing EPIRBs and fire extinguishers, discuss and ask questions about a range of commonly carried equipment including flares, first aid equipment and other types of man overboard equipment and electronics.To guarantee your liferaft inspection time, it is advised to book in advance by calling 01752 341787 or emailing [email protected] Safety is located at Unit 6 Eastern Wood Road, Langage Business Park, Plympton, Plymouth PL7 5ET.

via Boating Business – Ocean Safety set for Open Day.

Rig-Sense | NEW rig tension gauge for repeatable rig settings

As every sailor knows, rig set up is key to performance on the race course and being able to repeat favourite rig settings for differing conditions throughout the season is even more important. Until now sailors had to rely on basic tools which often left them frustrated with inconsistency for critical rig measurements.

Spinlock Rig-Sense is a new rig tuning tool developed for consistent and repeatable measurement of loads on wire and fibre. Compact, durable, lightweight and easy to handle, Rig-Sense uses a composite leaf spring that is calibrated to output repeatable tensile load readings to a direct linear scale in Kgs, rather than having to check and calculate loads on a complicated set of tables. With Rig-Sense you can quickly and reliably take your readings to compare and adjust if needed against base settings, before heading out on the water.

Designed for 2-5mm wire and fibre cable Rig-Sense accurately displays rig loads on a clear, simple and durable etched display, ensuring teams can tune their rig with confidence. Due to its innovative design and use of materials such as stainless steel for the contact points and composite leaf spring, Rig-Sense can be taken from boat to boat and loaned to others, confident in being able to share repeatable rig settings.

Spinlock CEO Chris Hill comments ‘Rig-Sense’ joins our growing Sense Range of data measuring tools. Sailors are becoming much more interested in measuring and capturing data to aid their performance, learning from time on the water to help improve long term performance. Rig-Sense offers a big improvement to the measurement of rig tension, making it simpler and easier for the sailor, and now coupled with the Rig-Sense App comes the ability to share and export data for later analysis with your team or sharing knowledge within a class’.

The free Rig-Sense App, available for both iOS and Android, allows users to work efficiently with their gauge, storing and managing the data on smart phones and tablets. Using the Rig-Sense app you can record data of critical settings to ensure repeatable race settings over differing conditions. Create your own custom templates to compile data for a range of boats or classes, add images and share and export data for later analysis with your class.

Notes

Rig-Sense is available to buy now – RRP £124.95 inc VAT

Full details can be found at www.spinlock.co.uk.

Download the Apple iOS Rig-Sense App in the App Store by searching Spinlock on your Apple device or here.

Download the Rig-Sense App from the Play Store by searching Spinlock on your device or here.

via .

Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, is stepping down at the end of 2015 after eight years at the helm for family reasons (full story below).

– Chief to leave after three editions at the helm

– ‘I want to dedicate time to my family now’

– Search is underway for new Race CEO

ALICANTE, Spain, September 11, 2015 – Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, is stepping down at the end of 2015 after eight years at the helm for family reasons.

The 48-year-old Norwegian has guided the event over three editions in 2008-09, 2011-12 and 2014-15 after taking over as chief executive in March 2008.

Frostad said it had been a journey he was very proud of, transforming the race into a high-level professional organisation as well as making significant and key changes to the race format while retaining a strong focus on the history and legacy of the 42-year-old race.

“With almost half of my life and a lot of passion invested in the race, it has been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make,” he said.

“I am an ‘all-or-nothing’ person and this is an ‘all-or-nothing’ race. I now want to dedicate more of my time to my young family.

“The Volvo Ocean Race is in a strong position for the future with a proven one-design format, a great team at our Alicante headquarters and ambitious and committed owners in Volvo Car Group and Volvo Group.”

Senior members of the Race’s board have paid tribute to Frostad.

“Knut has done a fantastic job in leading and developing the Volvo Ocean Race. We could not have had a more passionate leader and we understand and respect his wish to spend more time with his family. We will all miss him a lot,” said Henry Sténson, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Sustainability Affairs, Volvo Group, and Per Löjdquist, Chairman of the Volvo Ocean Race Board, in a joint statement.

“Knut has been the face and the driving force behind what is the most challenging and prestigious ocean race in the world. We regret but, at the same time, respect his decision and we can only wish him and his family the best of all winds,” added Alain Visser, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service, Volvo Car Group.

Frostad, who competed in four editions of sailing’s leading offshore race dating back to 1993-94, including twice as a skipper and founder of teams, continued: “The late Sir Peter Blake once said about the race: ‘There’s nothing like it – it gets in your blood and you can’t get rid of it!’

“I know that will be my challenge too. The Volvo Ocean Race is such a unique life experience and I am truly grateful for my time as head of the organisation, but also for all the friendships I have formed during this time.

“It’s been a privilege to work for Volvo and all the other stakeholders in the race, many of whom have become personal friends.”

Frostad will remain in the position as CEO until the end of 2015, while the search for his replacement has already started.

via Frostad steps down as Volvo Ocean Race CEO| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Andy Oddie, Gareth Edwards and Rob Greenhalgh take victory at Stormforce Coaching SB20 National Championships

Skipper Andy Oddie, and his crew of Gareth Edwards and Rob Greenhalgh, are the 2015 SB20 National Champions, after winning three of the six-race series at the Royal Southern YC in Hamble on ‘Underground Toys’.

The Stormforce Coaching UK National Championships were held from Saturday September 5th to Sunday 6th, 2015 in a mix of conditions that included overcast and shifty winds on the first day, and a building sea breeze with sunshine on Day 2. Unfortunately the Indian summer temperatures and sunshine on Monday 7th also brought zephyr-light conditions which led to racing being cancelled for the day, but six good races had been completed for the 25-boat nationals fleet.

Andy Oddie and team laid down an impressive challenge from the outset, winning the first three races in a row. Second place honours were shared by Class President Ed Russo on ‘Black Magic’, who was runner-up in the first and third races, and Pieter Heyn on ‘F5 Synthesis Team Gul’ in the second.

In Race 4 ‘Black Magic’ took the win from ‘F5 Synthesis Team Gul’, while ‘Underground Toys’ slipped to eighth in the variable winds and highly tidal conditions. ‘F5 Synthesis Team Gul’ then finished strongly to take the next two race wins, but ‘Underground Toys’ posted two more solid results with a third and second to hold on to take the overall win by two points from ‘F5 Synthesis Team Gul’. Third overall went to ‘Black Magic’, while Adrian Peach, the UK Class Chairman on ‘Uber’, followed up his Cowes Grand Slam win with a strong fourth place.

For Andy Oddie and Gareth Edwards the National Championships were a chance to revisit unfinished business – the pair nearly won the UK Nationals back in 2010, only losing the title on the final race.

Tactician and trimmer Rob Greenhalgh is no stranger to the SB20 class either. Rob won the first ever National Championships back in 2002, crewing for Mike Budd, and has scored podium finishes at many UK Nationals and World Championships. This latest title adds to another successful season for the pro sailor, which included winning the European Championship in the foiling Moth class just a week previously, having spent much of the previous year circumnavigating the globe in the Volvo Ocean Race, as Watch Captain on ‘Mapfre’.

Preceding the Nationals, the Sportsboat World/Spinlock Sprint Series was held on Friday, September 4th, with six back-to-back quick-fire races held over a windward-leeward course. Joe Llewellyn with ‘Forelle Estates’ won two races and counted all top three places to win, two points ahead of Tom Clay’s ‘Whyaduck’ who also won two races. Pieter Heyn’s ‘F5 Synthesis Team Gul’ won the remaining two races to finish third overall.

There was a special prize, sponsored by Harken, awarded to the top Youth team at the Nationals, which went to ‘Striptease’, skippered by Rebecca Anthony. The Masters prize, sponsored by Hyde Sails, was awarded to Tich Summers and the ‘Chill Pill’ team. The fleet also welcomed some new faces, including two boats from Poole Harbour where a new fleet is gaining momentum.

For many teams the 2015 Nationals gave a taste of what to expect for the 2017 SB20 World Championships, which will be hosted by the prestigious Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes with racing on the Solent.

Ed Russo, President of the UK World Council, commented: “The Nationals saw tough competition with leading competitors including the top British boat at this year’s Worlds (‘Forelle Estates’), and Rob Greenhalgh calling the shots on ‘Underground Toys’.

“The well known tidal flow puzzle of the Solent, coupled with particularly shifty northerly breezes, confirmed that sailing here requires crews to keep their heads! The 2017 Worlds, run by the RYS, will mark the SB20 class’s 15th anniversary and it is a perfect time to come back to the founding waters of the class for some enjoyable and challenging racing.”

Results:

Stormforce Coaching 2015 SB20 UK National Championships

1st ‘Underground Toys’ Andy Oddie GBR 3366 Itchenor S.C. 8.0

2nd ‘F5 Synthesis Team Gul’ Pieter Heyn 3047 Warsash 10.0

3rd ‘Black Magic’ Ed Russo FRA 3706 Club Nautique Valeriquais 13.0

4th ‘Uber’ Adrian Peach GBR 3720 Royal Torbay YC 21.0

5th Forelle Estates Joe Llewellyn GBR 3732 Wessex Exiles 27.0

Youth Category, sponsored by Harken

1st ‘Striptease’ Rebecca Anthony 3075 RSrnYC 104.0

Masters Category, sponsored by Hyde Sails

1st ‘Chill Pill+’ Tich Summers GBR 3710 Royal Tay Yacht Club 29.0

Full results available here http://www.royal-southern.co.uk/Portals/0/Results/2K15/1_Overall%20Results%20Day%202.pdf

Sportsboat World/Spinlock SB20 Sprint Series

1st ‘Forelle Estates’ Joe Llewellyn GBR 3732 Wessex Exiles 10.0

2nd ‘Whyaduck’ Tom Clay 3106 Royal Southern 12.0

3rd ‘F5 Synthesis Team Gul’ Pieter Heyn 3047 Warsash 14.0

4th ‘Chill Pill +’ Tich Summers GBR 3710 Royal Tay Yacht Club 15.0

5th ‘Black Magic’ Ed Russo FRA 3706 Club Nautique Valeriquais 20.0

Full results available here http://www.royal-southern.co.uk/Portals/0/Results/2K15/4_Overall%20Results%20-%20Sprint%20Series.pdf

via Oddie, Edwards and Greenhalgh crowned UK National Champions | Sportsboat World.

Italian boatyard Persico Marine has won the prestigious contract to construct new one-design Volvo Ocean 65s, depending on orders, for the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2017-18 (full story below).

– ‘We feel part of the Race family,’ says delighted company chief

– One location will simplify build process

– Contract will be ‘real boost’ for Italian marine industry

ALICANTE, Spain, September 8 – Italian boatyard Persico Marine has won the prestigious contract to construct new one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boats, depending on orders, for the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2017-18.

The Bergamo-based company was part of the consortium that built the first seven Volvo Ocean 65 one-design boats that contested the 12th edition finishing in June this year.

Persico also made global media headlines when it carried out the complete rebuild of the shattered Team Vestas Wind boat in just four-and-a-half months after Chris Nicholson’s crew struck a reef in the Indian Ocean during Leg 2 in November last year (full story here).

Vestas Wind completed the final two legs of the ninth-month offshore marathon and proved how well the workers of Persico had done their job by immediately finishing runners-up in the eighth stage from Lisbon to Lorient, France.

All seven Volvo Ocean 65s will race again in the next edition from October 2017 after an upgrade and a major re-fit. More of the identical boats built by Persico will join them for the 13th edition depending on demand from future teams.

Tom Touber, COO of the Volvo Ocean Race, explained why the Race had decided to give this important contract to Persico.

“If you’re going to build a limited number of boats, it is way more efficient to construct them in one location,” he said. “The main component is the hull, which Persico provided very efficiently in the last race as part of the consortium of builders, so that’s one reason.

“But also Persico did an outstanding job taking the lead in the rebuild of Vestas Wind and it confirmed to us how well they could do the job they’re now taking on.”

Touber said that Persico and the Race would have the option of working with other suppliers, also within the former consortium, to assist as necessary.

Marcello Persico, Managing Director of Persico Marine, was delighted that the company’s relationship with the world’s leading offshore race was growing and being extended.

“When Vestas Wind left our yard to re-join the race in Lisbon, some of my team were almost in tears. It was an amazing challenge and we were so proud to complete it,” he said.

“As you can imagine, we’re very proud now to be given this opportunity to work so closely with the race again for the next edition. We feel we are part of the Volvo Ocean Race family.”

He added: “This news is also a real boost for the Italian marine industry. Many companies have struggled hard to survive during the economic crisis and it’s great that such faith has been shown in us from the very top end of the market.”

Touber and Persico underlined that they did not anticipate problems ensuring any new boats built matched the strict one-design specification of the existing seven.

“The moulds and jigs will be exactly the same as used in the production of the other Volvo Ocean 65 boats,” said Touber.

“If any part is constructed differently, it will not fit.”

He added that a major re-fit for the entire fleet was organised by the race for the end of 2016, when all boats would be returned to The Boatyard of the Volvo Ocean Race, stripped down, all parts re-measured, and, as necessary, upgraded.

This would also help ensure the strict one-design dimensions of the boats.

News of Persico’s deal is announced on the 42nd anniversary of the first running of the event, which began as the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973.

* Marcello Persico and Knut Frostad will be meeting the media for an opportunity to discuss the deal in further detail during the Genoa Boat Show (September 30-October 5) on October 1. Team SCA and Team Vestas Wind will also be competing in a series of pro-am races (more details here).

via The Italian job: Persico to build new Volvo Ocean 65s| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Cory E Friedman

02 Sep 2015

ISAF is shocked — shocked— to find that pollution is going on at the Olympic sailing venue in Guanabara Bay!

After all, the politicians at ISAF were assured by the politicians in Rio who have never accomplished a thing for their people that the pollution which has festered for many decades will magically vanish on schedule despite the fact that no one in Rio was actually doing anything.

This in a third world country where everyone is on notice that magical thinking regularly substitutes for the ugly reality – and ISAF believed it!

So ISAF is going to hold its breath until those incompetent, corrupt and ineffectual politicians complete in one year a project so mammoth that it would take a fully mobilized first world country a decade or more to accomplish.

Not only that, but with emerging market investors running for the exits, Brazil will be hard pressed to pay or refinance its outstanding obligations, let alone finance new ones. And if the impossible is not accomplished what then?

Well ISAF is going to take the boats that were chosen for their ability to sail fast on stadium courses close to shore for the benefit of spectators and TV, out into the open ocean to race in conditions with which they cannot cope and where nobody will be able to see them.

All of the sailors’ years of practice learning Guanabara Bay will be flushed down the toilet and into the bay.

Is there a Plan B to deal with a problem ISAF has been warned about for years? Of course not. Will the ISAF blue blazers suffer as a result of this fiasco? Of course not.

Unfortunately, it is the sailors who have devoted years of their lives to an Olympic dream and the sport that will suffer from this abject incompetence, as will all those sailors who are paying for ISAF’s incompetence.

Will anything really change? What do you think? You couldn’t make this up.

via Boating Business – Cory E Friedman.

ACWS moves to Bermuda October 16-18

03 Sep 2015

Sir Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR goes to Bermuda in 2nd place overall

AMERICA’S CUP: With Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR in second place, the six America’s Cup World Series teams move to Bermuda’s Great Sound for the next ACWS event.

This will be the first opportunity for people around the world to see these high-tech catamarans showcased in Bermuda, the home of the 35th America’s Cup.

International broadcast coverage will extend to the US, Europe, China, Australia, Latin America and the Caribbean covering a total of more than 100 territories.

The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Bermuda will be held from October 16-18 with Emirates Team New Zealand, Land Rover BAR, Oracle Team USA, SoftBank Team Japan, Artemis Racing and Groupama Team France taking in part in the competition that allows them to accumulate points for later stages of the America’s Cup.

Along with the racing in the Great Sound, Hamilton’s Front Street will play host to the free “Our Bermuda” Festival and Event Village. The Festival will feature the very best of Bermuda including food and drink vendors, exhibitors, family friendly activities both on land and on-water from Friday evening through to Sunday evening.

Saturday evening will also include a concert at the Fan Zone featuring an exciting line-up of international and local artists.

The races will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 3.30pm with a “Dock Out Show” prior to the first race on both days and a “Dock In Show” after the second race on both days.

The first race of each day will start and finish in the Great Sound while the second race will start in the Great Sound but finish in Hamilton Harbour in front of the Event Village.

via Boating Business – ACWS moves to Bermuda October 16-18.

Team SCA and Team Vestas Wind, rivals in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, go head-to-head once more in a series of pro-am races at the popular Genoa Boat Show from September 30-October 5 (full story below).

ALICANTE, Spain, September 2 – Team SCA and Team Vestas Wind, rivals in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, go head-to-head once more in a series of pro-am races at the popular Genoa Boat Show from September 30 to October 5.

The six pro-am races will give the race’s many Italian fans the first chance to see Volvo Ocean Race boats on home waters and provide an intriguing challenge for the crews of Team Vestas Wind and Team SCA which will be named at a later date.

The teams will be matched in two daily pro-am, in-port races on September 30, October 1 and 2 before they join a Genoa Boat Show fleet race on Saturday, October 3.

Team Vestas Wind skipper Chris Nicholson, whose Danish-backed challengers memorably bounced back from near disaster in the second leg last November when the boat was grounded on a reef in the Indian Ocean, was very much looking forward to taking on Team SCA’s all-women crew again.

“The last time we were in Genoa, we were on our way to Persico Marine to repair our Volvo Ocean 65, so it’s very special to be able to be back in Italy racing our boat,” said Nicholson.

“The Vestas Wind is in great condition and the team still has much more to give, as fans saw when we returned ahead of Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race in Lisbon. I’m proud to represent Vestas at the Genoa Boat Show and look forward to competing against Team SCA once more,” he continued.

After the race finished in Gothenburg on June 27, the blue boat sailed via its home port of Copenhagen to Race HQ in Alicante, Spain, for routine maintenance.

It will depart for Genoa the weekend before the Genoa Boat Show starts on September 30.

They will face stiff competition in Genoa from Team SCA who finished third overall in the In-Port Race Series of the Volvo Ocean Race and then beat event rivals Dongfeng Race Team in the Artemis Challenge during Cowes Week last month.

They impressed too during the Fastnet Race, also held during the traditional sailing festival on the Isle of Wight.

Anton Albertoni, President of the Show’s organizing body, I Saloni Nautici, is delighted to welcome the two crews to Genoa.

“The Volvo Ocean Race brings the pinnacle of offshore racing to the Genoa Boat Show,” he said.

“For the show’s visitors, though, this is not an invitation to dare but to meet those men and women who have made the sea their passion, their lifestyle, their daily pleasure.

“Those who face such challenges have the ocean at heart and having them in Genoa represents a true celebration of the sea. That’s why we are very happy to welcome the women from Team SCA and the men from Team Vestas Wind.

“Moreover, the Volvo Ocean 65s have been built and fitted with some of the best Italian marine technology and the Genoa Boat Show is all about Made in Italy.”

Team SCA squad member, Carolijn Brouwer added: “It was great to have the team back together again for the Fastnet Race, and we were happy with our performance. We look forward to, once again, locking horns with Team Vestas Wind, and meeting many of our Italian supporters at the Genoa Boat Show.”

via Team SCA and Team Vestas Wind go head-to-head once more in Genoa| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.