Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag surprise with new crew announcement

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Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

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Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

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Konrad Frost/Volvo Ocean Race

Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag have announced three new crew members for the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, including Dutch Olympic medallist, Annemieke Bes (full story below)

Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag have announced three new crew members for the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, including Dutch Olympic medallist, Annemieke Bes.

Skipper David Witt, who is leading Hong Kong’s first ever entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, has announced three new additions to his crew – Tom Clout (AUS), António Fontes (POR) and Dutch Olympic Silver medallist, Annemieke Bes (NED).

Witt, who previously stated he was intending to sail with a crew of seven men, has surprised by including Bes as part of his final crew line up. New race rules, designed to incentivise teams to take female crew, limit an all-male crew to seven sailors. Under race rules, a mixed crew can include up to an additional two female sailors, for a total of eight or nine.*

Until today, Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag was the only team, out of the seven competitors, to not have considered female sailors. The announcement of Bes now means every Volvo Ocean Race team has female sailors fully integrated into their crew line up.

Witt, who has had time to review his crew decisions since Leg Zero (qualifying) is now more confident in the setup of his team.

“We’re really excited to have these three experienced sailors joining us at Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag. Annemieke and Tom have sailed with us before so we know what to expect in terms of their strengths and weaknesses and where their skills will really enhance our overall performance.

“In addition to these two, António is a great asset, and altogether they have strengthened our team immensely from where we were when we started out two months ago.”

Bes was, until recently, part of team AkzoNobel, the Dutch entry in the race skippered by Simeon Tienpont, but recently made the switch to Witt’s team.

“I really look forward to sailing with Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag. I’ve known David from sailing back in Sydney and it’s always good fun to sail with him. The team are a great bunch of guys and we are working hard making final preparations ready for the October start date.”

Neither Clout nor Fontes has Volvo Ocean Race experience but Witt is confident their sailing experience and characters will contribute strongly to the team.

“I’m confident we’re now in a good position ahead of the start of the race and we will continue to improve throughout the legs as we work together as a new team.”

The boats are currently undergoing a final maintenance period in Lisbon ahead of sailing to Alicante for the start of the race on 22 October 2017.

*Other crew configurations include 10 sailors if the team consists of an even male/female split. An all-female team may race with 11 crew.

via Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag surprise with new crew announcement| Volvo Ocean Race.

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Spirit Yachts unveils designs of one of the largest wooden yachts ever built

21 Sep 2017

Spirit 111′ is one of the largest wooden single-masted yachts to be built

Designs for one of the largest single-masted wooden yachts to be built since the 1930s have been shown.

The 34m sailing yacht Spirit 111’ from British yacht builder Spirit Yachts has been designed to be one of the most beautiful yachts ever built while also being environmentally friendly.

“The Spirit 111’ is an incredibly significant project,” said Spirit CEO and head designer Sean McMillan. “A single-masted wooden yacht of this size that can also be owner driven is nothing less than a feat of engineering and with an exquisite interior design, will truly be a sight to behold once on the water.

“I am immensely proud of the world-class boat-building team we have at Spirit, who are turning the vision of this exciting project into a reality.”

A low freeboard, clear decks and latest sailing hardware have been designed to give the sloop-rigged superyacht outstanding performance for both cruising and racing.

Laminated timber frames reinforced with a duplex stainless steel central cage are used for maximum stiffness.

Four high powered lithium battery banks are incorporated with the batteries able to be recharged through propeller shaft regeneration, shore power and from backup generators.

“By investing in state of the art energy saving technology, we are creating one of the world’s most environmentally friendly and sustainable yachts, without compromising on performance or comfort,” added Mr McMillan. “From responsibly sourced wood to carbon-saving systems, this yacht will set a new standard for reducing the impact sailing has on our environment and oceans.”

The interior of the Spirit 111’ has been created in partnership with Rhoades Young, Spirit Yacht’s first collaboration with an external design agency.

The structural engineering has been created in partnership with Synolo Design and Spirit Yachts in-house naval architect.

Construction began in April at Spirit Yacht’s headquarters in Ipswich and the Royal Institute of Naval Architects approved build is planned to launch in 2019.

via Boating Business | Spirit Yachts unveils designs of one of the largest wooden yachts ever built.

Intensive safety preparation is led by Ocean Safety

21 Sep 2017

Some of the biggest names in racing have undergone intensive safety training in preparation for the Volvo Ocean Race which starts mid-October.

Ocean Safety worked with the crews for a week at South Tyneside College’s survival training centre.

Ocean Safety has provided most of the mandatory lifesaving equipment to the seven yachts taking part in the 37,000-mile round the world race, including the Jonbuoy Recovery Module and the new SOLAS Ocean Ultralite liferafts, amongst other vital onboard safety equipment.

“Although many are veteran Volvo racers and ocean sailors who have seen Ocean Safety’s demonstrations before it is always important to check that their skills and safety knowledge is current and up to date,” explained Alistair Hackett, Ocean Safety MD.

This is the fifth consecutive Volvo Ocean Race the company has been involved in.

via Boating Business | Intensive safety preparation is led by Ocean Safety.

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PRESS RELEASE 26 SEP 2017, 10:09 UTC

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Volvo reconsiders schedule for future Volvo Ocean Races

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Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

Following discussions with key stakeholders it has been determined that additional planning time is required to implement the recently announced changes to the race schedule (full story below)

Volvo reconsiders schedule for future Volvo Ocean Races

Following discussions with key stakeholders it has been determined that additional planning time is required to implement the recently announced changes to the race schedule. As a result, the proposed 2019-20 race in new boats will not take place as planned. A revised schedule for future Volvo Ocean Races will be announced as soon as possible. Volvo remains committed to ensuring that any planned changes deliver long-term sustainable benefits to the race and participating teams.

The design work on the exciting new Super 60 concept, at the forefront of foiling offshore monohull technology, continues.

The current 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race is completely unaffected by this change and will proceed as publicly announced.

As a consequence of this review to the race schedule the current CEO for the race Mark Turner has decided to step down from his current position. He will remain in the CEO role until a successor is appointed, a search for which has started.

“Whilst we regret the fact that Mark has decided to step down from his current role, we are grateful for the hard work and contribution over the last 16 months. The leadership team Mark has put in place will ensure the race remains both a world class sailing and business platform and we wish him all the best for the future,” says Henry Stenson, Chairman of the Volvo Ocean Race supervisory board.

“Although I have decided to step down from my position, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to lead the Volvo Ocean Race at this important time. I am confident the 2017-18 race will be one of the best ever,” says Mark Turner.

Volvo Ocean Race ready for start of race in October 2017

The 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race will start in Alicante on October 22, 2017 and finish in The Hague in June 2018, visiting 12 stopovers (Alicante, Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff, Gothenburg, The Hague) in the epic around the world adventure covering 45,000 nautical miles. The race will be made up of 7 highly qualified and professional sailing teams, including some of world’s most accomplished and experienced sailors.

The teams are: Team AkzoNobel, Dongfeng Race Team, MAPFRE, Vestas 11th Hour Racing, Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, Turn The Tide on Plastic and Team Brunel.

Q&A

Q: Will there be an impact on the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race?

A: No impact on the current edition of the race is expected. Mark Turner’s role was primarily focused on future strategy. The Leadership Team is very well prepared and ready to deliver an outstanding sporting and sponsorship experience. Mark Turner will remain as CEO until a successor is appointed.

Q: It was announced in May that future races would be held in a two year cycle, rather than the current three year cycle, has that changed?

A: AB Volvo and Volvo Cars are committed to developing the race going forward as announced in May, including optimizing the race cycle. However, following discussions between the two owners of the event, it has been determined that in order to fully implement the announced changes additional planning time is required, specifically in relation to the race cycle. A final decision will follow at a later stage.

Q: It was recently announced that the next Race would start in 2019, is that still the case?

A: Following discussions between Volvo companies, it has been determined that in order to fully implement the announced changes additional planning time is required, specifically in relation to the race cycle. A final decision on this will follow at a later stage. This rules out a race start in 2019 with new boats, however the Volvo Ocean Race leadership team is developing plans to ensure activation opportunities and stakeholder return using the existing boats.

Q: A number of additional initiatives were announced in May aimed at developing the sporting and commercial value further, are these other initiatives still going ahead?

A: Yes, that is the intention.

via Volvo reconsiders schedule for future Volvo Ocean Races| Volvo Ocean Race.

Omega unveiled as official timekeeper of Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

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Martin Keruzore/Volvo Ocean Race

One month before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, event organisers have announced that Swiss watchmaker Omega will be Official Timekeeper of the 2017-18 edition (see more below)

One month before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, event organisers have announced that Swiss watchmaker Omega will be Official Timekeeper of the 2017-18 edition.

The prestigious Swiss watchmaker is the world leader in sports timekeeping and boasts a long history in top-level competition.

Prior to becoming a Race Partner of the Volvo Ocean Race, Omega has taken the role of Official Timekeeper at the Olympic Games on 27 occasions since 1932, and has partnered with Emirates Team New Zealand on many America’s Cup campaigns, including the inspiring Cup win earlier this year.

Speaking about the new partnership, Raynald Aeschlimann, OMEGA President and CEO said: “It is very exciting for OMEGA and it’s a great privilege. We know sailing very well, but the Volvo Ocean Race truly speaks to our pioneering brand spirit, our love of exploration and our pursuit of excellence. It really is a unique opportunity and we can’t wait to support the sailors with our renowned timekeeping.”

Burling and Grael nominated as World Sailors of the Year

As the race start draws closer, two Volvo Ocean Race debutants have been recognised for their recent achievements in the sport, with Team Brunel’s Peter Burling and team AkzoNobel’s Martine Grael both nominated for the 2017 World Sailor of the Year award.

Burling’s nomination comes after 12 whirlwind months in which he scored a gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and followed up by helming Emirates Team New Zealand to America’s Cup victory earlier this summer. Alongside his long-time sailing partner, MAPFRE’s Blair Tuke, he could become the first sailor in history to win the Triple Crown of events in the sport.

Brazilian Grael’s nomination comes on the back of a home Olympic victory in Rio, in which she took first place alongside partner Kahena Kunze in the 49erFX class. The daughter of Volvo Ocean Race legend Torben Grael, she is preparing for her first round-the-world after growing up around the event.

Final push ahead of Prologue leg

As we enter the final countdown to the 2017-18 edition of the race, the sailors have been undergoing mandatory sea survival training in Newcastle, UK, whilst the boats are given a final tune up at the Boatyard in Lisbon.

The fleet has been lifted out of the water as part of the Assembly Period, which runs until the end of September, and the teams will all complete the Prologue leg from Lisbon to Alicante on 8 October, ready for the opening of the Alicante Race Village on 11 October.

The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race officially begins on 22 October 2017. The fleet will depart Alicante, Spain, and visit 11 iconic Host Cities over eight months including Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff and Gothenburg, before a big finish in The Hague in summer 2018.

via Omega unveiled as official timekeeper of Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18| Volvo Ocean Race.

MEDIA ADVISORY

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ONE MONTH TO GO: THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST SAILING RACE IS BACK (see more below)

ONE MONTH TO GO: THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST SAILING RACE IS BACK

It’s the toughest test of a team in professional sport

Winning the trophy has been an obsession for the worlds best sailors since 1973

It has been the source of countless news stories for over four decades

And more importantly, it’s back…

“There’s nothing like it. It gets in your blood and you can’t get rid of it.”

Sir Peter Bake, Steinlager 2, 1989-90

The Volvo Ocean Race starts on 22 October 2017 and this edition looks like it could be the toughest yet. Seven teams are set to battle their way around the world, racing at breakneck speeds through the wildest oceans.

Make no mistake, this is a race like no other. There is no comfy hotel room to go back to at night, no hot fresh food, no shower, in fact – there isn’t even a bed onboard. This is relentless, 24/7 racing.

And yet more of the world’s very best sailors have signed on for the challenge than ever before, from Olympic gold medallists like Xabi Fernández and Martine Grael, to America’s Cup winners Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, not to mention over a dozen previous race champions.

With exactly one month to go until the start from Alicante, Spain, we’ve got everything you need to follow the race and tell the epic story as it unfolds.

Welcome to the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

MEDIA TOOLS

There are many ways to follow the Volvo Ocean Race — online, via our Race App and our social media channels.

Welcome to the Media Hub

A central source of information about the race, results, history, the sailors.

Don’t miss a thing with our news alerts

Sign-up for press releases, Video News Release alerts, Best Videos & Images alerts or Feature Opportunities.

Discover the Image Library

An archive of photos from our photographers and the Onboard Reporters on each boat, free for editorial use.

Browse the Broadcast Room

Where broadcast and digital media can access Video News Releases, live conferences with the boats, video from the Onboard Reporters, ‘ready to air’ digital packages and more.

Sign up for Media Accreditation

Please note, it is only necessary to get accreditation if you are attending a stopover.

Live Video and Audio Calls to the Boats

Media can speak directly to a skipper/team via video link and 2-way audio. To set up a Live X call, please email [email protected] cc’ing [email protected]

(Availability is limited and restricted).

Live Streaming

We will live stream the starts and arrivals of each leg plus the In-Port Race. If you would like to host the live stream on your platform, please email [email protected] at Sunset+Vine, Global Distribution Agency for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18. Restrictions may apply in certain countries or regions.

Widgets & Digital Assets

We have a number of widgets and digital assets that can be used by the media on their own platforms including tracker, rankings, scoreboard, news, photos and video. If you would like to use these assets on your platform, please email [email protected]

Official Guide

Browse our 116-page Official Guide for more in-depth features and stories about the race, its history, the teams and more. Digital version available soon.

All media enquiries: [email protected]

via MEDIA ADVISORY| Volvo Ocean Race.

RS Zest offers a larger crew area and a pupil friendly mast stepping system

18 Sep 2017

The RS Zest replaces the RS Quba

The RS Zest is a new compact boat for one, two or three sailors that delivers more crew space and more practical and enjoyable features than its older rivals.

The dinghy replaces the RS Quba and has been developed by Jo Richards who designed the Pico more than 20 years ago) alongside RS Sailing.

The dinghy manufacturer has partnered with Sea Cadets in the development of its latest boat that is aimed at training centres and families.

“The opportunity to comprehensively move the game forward led Jo Richards to re-design this size boat and RS to replace its popular RS Quba with an entirely new model – one that both are confident will render existing rivals obsolete,” said a spokesman from RS.

Features include a larger crew cockpit suitable for an adult and two youths and a pivoting centerboard and click-down / kick-up rudder system for ease and damage prevention.

In addition, there are safety-inducing capsize recovery features such as sacrificial hull wear-points to lengthen usable life and a pupil / youngster friendly mast stepping system.

The new dinghy is being shown at TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show.

via Boating Business | RS Zest offers a larger crew area and a pupil friendly mast stepping system.

Race winner Martin Strömberg joins Turn the Tide on Plastic DownloadJeremie Lecaudey/Volvo Ocean Race DownloadAinhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race DownloadUgo Fonolla/Volvo Ocean RaceSweden’s Martin Strömberg, a three-time race veteran and winner from the 2011-12 edition, is joining skipper Dee Caffari’s Turn the Tide on Plastic team for the Volvo Ocean Race (full story below)Sweden’s Martin Strömberg, a three-time race veteran and winner from the 2011-12 edition, is joining skipper Dee Caffari’s Turn the Tide on Plastic team for the Volvo Ocean Race. Strömberg, who will be a watch captain, helmsman and trimmer, adds round the world race experience and winning motivation to one of the youngest crews in the race.“I have sailed around the world three times, I have won the race and yet here I am back for a fourth time,” he says. “And I am back because it’s the toughest, most challenging and most fun event in the sport. And I’m an athlete – I want to win!”“Martin is an experienced sailor who brings a wealth of knowledge to our younger team,” notes skipper Caffari. “With three Volvo Ocean Race’s under his belt he knows the demands of the race better than anyone.“His experience coaching and developing young sailors will add further balance to our team and will be excellent assistance for me as skipper. I’m excited to have him join us.” Equally, Strömberg says he’s passionate about the prospect of passing along his knowledge to the next generation, along with bringing Turn the Tide on Plastic team’s message of sustainability to an international audience.“It’s about bringing opportunities for young sailors to achieve their lifetime goal, and we have to give them the opportunities to become better,” he says. “For me, Turn the Tide on Plastic is a project that needs to happen for the well-being of our planet… (Sustainability) can’t just be about picking up rubbish, it’s about what we as human beings are putting out there.”Strömberg has already been training with Turn the Tide on Plastic in the lead-up to the Prologue Leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, which will see the fleet of seven boats race from Lisbon, Portugal to the start port of Alicante, Spain, beginning on 8 October.The Volvo Ocean Race starts from its home port of Alicante on 22 October.

via Race winner Martin Strömberg joins Turn the Tide on Plastic| Volvo Ocean Race.

Irish Olympic hero and Kiwi offshore racer to join Turn the Tide on Plastic

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Jeremie Lecaudey/Volvo Ocean Race

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Ugo Fonolla/Volvo Ocean Race

Turn the Tide on Plastic have announced two more female sailors for their Volvo Ocean Race campaign – Irish Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy and New Zealand’s Bianca Cook (full story below)

Turn the Tide on Plastic have announced two more female sailors for their Volvo Ocean Race campaign – Irish Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy and New Zealand’s Bianca Cook.

Both under 30, the pair join skipper Dee Caffari’s mixed and youth-focused campaign after successful trials, and take the total number of confirmed sailors in their squad to 10 with just 44 days to go until the start of the race.

“Annalise and Bianca both add strength to the squad and are developing quickly,” said Caffari. “Coming from an Olympic background, Annalise’s strength and racing skills are obvious, but she is still learning about life offshore, whereas Bianca has lots of big boat experience and is very comfortable offshore.”

She added: “The Volvo Ocean Race will certainly offer a challenge, but it’s one that they’re certainly up for. It’s a pleasure to see them loving every day on the boat.”

Dublin-born Murphy, 27, took silver in the Laser Radial class at Rio 2016, and was recently named Irish Times/Sport Ireland’s Sportswoman of the Year.

“The jump from Olympic inshore sailing to professional offshore sailing is a big one,” said Murphy. “I am expecting this race to be the toughest thing I have ever done both mentally and physically but I also can’t wait for it to start.”

New Zealand’s Cook, 28, has accumulated over 70,000 offshore miles in the last few years.

“Coming from Auckland, I’ve grown up watching the Volvo Ocean Race teams and I can’t believe that I’ll get to be one of those sailors,” she said. “To be given this chance and to have earned my place is a dream come true.”

Turn the Tide on Plastic will amplify UN Environment’s Clean Seas campaign in 2017-18. The new recruits join a multinational squad led by Caffari (GBR) and featuring Australia’s Liz Wardley and Lucas Chapman; Italy’s Francesca Clapcich; Britons Bleddyn Mon and Henry Bomby, and Portuguese sailors Frederico Pinheiro de Melo and Bernardo Freitas.

The team are currently making their final preparations in Cascais, Portugal. All boats will head to the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard in Lisbon by 18 September 2017 for final maintenance checks ahead of a non-scoring Prologue stage from Lisbon to Alicante ahead of the start of the 83,000 km race.

The race begins from Alicante, Spain on 22 October and will visit a further 11 Host Cities around the world – stopping at Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff and Gothenburg – before a big finish in The Hague in summer 2018.

via Irish Olympic hero and Kiwi offshore racer to join Turn the Tide on Plastic| Volvo Ocean Race.

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Sailing Trust extends continued support to RYA sailors

31 Aug 2017

So far the partnership has seen JMST donate more than 53 junior pathway boats and boards

Less fortunate sailors will continue to benefit from the John Merricks Sailing Trust (JMST) support for the next three years through the RYA’s Onboard programme.

Originally, launched in 2012, the partnership has seen JMST donate more than 53 junior pathway boats and boards to promising sailors who may not have ordinarily had the opportunity or financial backing to achieve their goals.

“The JMST has really made a huge difference to all the young sailors and windsurfers who have been awarded use of their own boats and boards,” said RYA OnBoard operations officer, Cat Ferguson.

“We are absolutely thrilled it will continue to help us in our mission to introduce youngsters from all backgrounds to the sport.”

For the next three years, at least one young sailor each year will be selected from each of the nine RYA Zones and Home Countries, giving them two years of exclusive use of their own boat donated by the Trust.

After which the boats will be returned to the sailor’s original club or centre so other young sailors can continue to benefit in the future and progress into club and regional racing activities.

via Boating Business | Sailing Trust extends continued support to RYA sailors.