Why is Brazil in love with the Volvo Ocean Race?
It’s been on the Volvo Ocean Race’s map since the beginning. The country has hosted eight stopovers since the first edition in 1973-74.
1973-74 – Rio de Janeiro
1977-78 – Rio de Janeiro
1997-98 – São Sebastião
2001-02 – Rio de Janeiro
2005-06 – Rio de Janeiro
2008-09 – Rio de Janeiro
2011-12 – Itajaí
2014-15 – Itajaí
Brazilian sailors have always been part of it, too. Nine of them have entered the race.
John Anderson
1977-78, Flyer
Lucas Brun
2005-06, ABN AMRO TWO
Horacio Carabelli – the Brazilian sailed the race twice before moving to the shore side
2005-06, Brasil 1
2008-09, Ericsson 4
Marceloo Ferreira
2005-06, Brasil 1
Andre Fonseca – Bochecha is our one and only Brazilian sailor this time around. He’s part of the Spanish team MAPFRE
2005-06, Brasil 1
2008-09, Delta Lloyd
2014-15, MAPFRE
Torben Grael – one of the most famous Brazilian sailors and a race winner six years ago
1997-98, Innovation Kvaerner
2005-06, Brasil 1
2008-09, Ericsson 4
Henrique Pellicano
2005-06 Brasil 1
Fernando Peres
1981-82, La Barca Laboratorio
Joao Signorini – a three-time race veteran now coach for Team SCA
2005-06, Brasil 1
2008-09, Ericsson 4
2011-12, Telefónica
They had their own Volvo Ocean Race team. Skippered by Torben Grael, Brasil 1 finished third of the 2005-06 edition. Race CEO Knut Frostad was onboard at the time. The only Brazilian team to ever compete in the race, Brasil 1 will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Itajaí.
They’ve got their own sailing legend. Torben Grael won five Olympics medals, six World Championships, the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 AND the Volvo Ocean Race in 2008-09 with Ericsson 4.
His brother Lars Grael is an Olympic medalist too, and he kept sailing at a high level despite losing a leg in a boating accident.
With Kahena Kunze, his daughter Martine Grael is one of the Olympic favourites in the 49er FX class for Rio 2016. Later on, Martine would love to join the race with an all-female team.
They’ve got TWO sailing legends. Robert Scheidt is world famous for his Olympic success. He’s got five Olympic medals and was crowned 13 times as a World Champion in the Star and Laser classes.
Brazil is big in Olympic sailing. Over the years, Olympic sailors have won 17 medals for Brazil – only judo got more with 19 medals! And the next Games will take place in Rio de Janeiro, though the class they’re most successful in, the Star, is now out.
Made in Brazil. The C30 is the only boat 100% made in Brazil. The ‘C’ stands for the Volvo sailor Carabelli. Bochecha, currently on MAPFRE, is also an advisor for this class.
Offshore races are more popular than you think. The sailing weeks of Ilhabela, Santa Catarina and Búzios are among the most famous. Itajaí is getting there, too. The Recife – Noronha and Buenos Aires – Rio are classics.
And that shows in the footfall in Itajaí. 282,000 visitors came to the race village in 2012 – over a quarter of a million. 28,372 people cheered for the In-Port Race, and 25,000 waved the sailors good-bye on the day of Leg 6 start.
Joao Signorini (see sailors above), the only Brazilian in the 2011-12 race, was given a memory he’ll never forget as thousands cheered him home onboard Telefónica.
Bochecha is coming home. MAPFRE’s André Fonseca is from Florianopolis, a city just 100 km south of Itajaí. A talented helmsman, he’s expected to arrive on Sunday, April 5 with the rest of the front pack.