Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race (formerly The Whitbread Round the World Race ) is a since 1973 all four, and since 2006, every three years conducted sailing regatta, which runs across the whole world. The race will start in the autumn in Europe, the other route leads through the Atlantic, circumnavigated Africa, leads to the South Pacific to America and from there back to Europe. Because of the wind and weather conditions, especially in the South Pacific ( wave heights of 30 m and wind speeds of 110 km / h), the race is considered one of the toughest challenges in sailing. A total of 45,000 kms to cover. The regatta is sailed in stages, which are counted separately ( scoring ) and in the end lead to a final result ( it does not count in the end actually sailed time).

The first six sweeps were still called The Whitbread Round the World Race after the then main sponsor, the British brewery Whitbread. For the seventh staging (1997-1998), the name was due to the participation of Volvo for the main prize in Whitbread ( Round the World ) Race for the Volvo Trophy (abbreviated but also Whitbread ) changed. The eighth implementation ( 2001-02) was first performed after a complete change of sponsor under the new name Volvo Ocean Race. This regatta won the start under the German flag Illbruck team, skippered by John Kostecki.

In 2006 it was decided the Volvo Ocean Race from now on, every three years to carry out. The last race was held until July 2012 from October 2011.

Regattas

Whitbread 1973-1974

The first race started in Portsmouth on September 8, 1973. Seventeen yachts of various sizes and shapes took part. During the race three sailors drowned.

The regatta won the Sayula II, a series yacht type 65 Swan the Finnish shipyard Nautor 's Swan, controlled by Ramon Carlin (Mexico) at a time of 133 days and 13 hours.

Off Cape Horn the leading yacht Adventure on the British HMS Endurance Patrouillienschiff with nine -gun salute was welcomed. One of the shots accidentally went through the Genoa boat.

First German participants and last boat in the target (Last Ship Home) was built in 1936 Kieler Yawl Peter von Danzig under Reinhardt Laucht of the Academic Sailing Club in Kiel. There were for the young students, after all still the prize " for the best performance of a losing yacht " and skipper Reinhardt Laucht the Schlimbach price.

Whitbread 1977-1978

On August 27, 1977 started in Southampton in storm and rain fifteen boats to the second staging of the race around the world.

It won with a flyer, designed by Sparkman & Stephens yacht, which was led by Cornelius van Rietschoten (Netherlands). All fifteen boats crossed the finish line after 50,000 km.

Whitbread 1981-1982

August 8, 1981 launched 29 boats in Southampton for the third edition of the race around the world ..

It won the German Frers of (Argentina ) designed maxi yacht Flyer II, which was controlled by the winner of the last Regatta Cornelius van Rietschoten. It is noteworthy that the winning yacht Flyer by both total and calculated (corrected ) gained time. Twenty of the 29 yachts finished the race started.

At this world regatta walrus III of the Academic Association Berlin sailors participated (ASV ).

Whitbread 1985-1986

On September 29, 1985 started in Southampton fifteen boats.

The L' Esprit d' Equipe controlled by Lionel Péan won the race in a corrected time of 111 days and 23 hours. Phillips Innovator was second and Fazer Finland third. (UBS Switzerland was the fastest time by boat, followed by the New Zealand Lion and the Drum ( owner Simon Le Bon ) close behind. )

Whitbread 1989-1990

1989-1990 Total Balance

At the Regatta different boat classes participated. Even a pure wife team first participated with the Tracy Edwards ' Maiden controlled. Although the women drove their male competitors in a smaller boat, they were able to gain two stage wins in their class. From this point, a pure woman team was involved in every Whitbread Race.

1989-1990 stage winner

For the Steinlager 2, controlled by Peter Blake, it was an easy victory. Since the Regatta 1981/1982 again won the award all stages.

Based on experience with the different boat classes in the race, it was decided to develop a single class of boat for the future regattas. Thus, the maxi - yachts were almost twice as large as the smallest yachts and had more than twice the sail area. The result of these differences was that the smaller boats needed about ten days longer for each stage. At the finish of the last 52 days was finally behind Blake's Steinlager 2 Also, the big ships were very expensive. The newly created class was called W 60.

Whitbread 1993-1994

The Whitbread 1993/1994 has also sailed with different boat classes. New, however, was the use of special Whitbread yachts W60. As in previous years, handicap rules have been used to compensate for the differences. By participating Maxi yachts and W60 were used, which resulted in narrow race. There has been a fear that not be enough new boats for the competition are available, despite protests the Maxi yachts participation was allowed.

1993-1994 Full Time

Intrum Justitia was originally controlled by Roger Nilson. However, he fell ill during the race and was replaced at the end of the first stage in Punta del Este by Lawrie Smith.

Stage results:

Whitbread 1997-1998

For the first time took part in the regatta yachts only the W60 class part, and the evaluation was carried out according to a points system to upgrade the shorter stages. In order to improve the media exploitation, a total of nine stages were organized. Volvo also joined for the first time as a sponsor of the trophy and the television broadcasts. The regatta was thus Whitbread round the world race for the Volvo Trophy.

The overall result:

Stage winner

Volvo Ocean Race 2001-2002

For the 2001/2002er host the competition Volvo took over ( strictly speaking: Volvo Group and Volvo Car Corporation jointly ) the role of the title sponsor, and the race was renamed the Volvo Ocean Race. Stops were planned in Germany, France and Sweden ( Volvo's most important European markets). The points system has been redesigned to keep the race until the final thrilling.

John Kostecki won after his successful participation as co-skipper with George Collins on the Chessie Racing in Whitbread 1997/98 for the first time the Volvo Ocean Race. Assa ABLOY's new developed boats were very fast, but not fast enough. In particular, the long development phase disturbed the fine tuning of the boats.

The third stage was carried out jointly with the legendary Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006

In the discharge 2005-2006 there were some innovations. For the first time did not start in the UK. It was also the regatta with a new type of boat, the Volvo Open 70 is performed. This boat is about 1000 lbs lighter than the Type W60, has a greater sail area and a swing keel.

The route is about 57,000 km long and is completed in nine stages within nine months. In addition, there are races in certain ports, so-called " in-port races ." As a new feature, so-called Pit-Stop - ports were provided, which divide the longer stages in shorter sections. In these ports, there is no " in-port races ." In order to better control the course of boats, as well as six specific control points (gates ) were introduced, will be awarded at the correct passage, according to the chronological order of points.

Also the scoring system was revised. In the normal stages of the winner receives seven points, the second six, etc. The " in-port races ', the first 3.5 points, the second three, etc. The points from the " in-port races " make 20 % of the total score. They want to make the regatta in the stage ports for the audience interesting.

The race started on November 5, 2005 in Sanxenxo (Galicia ) in Spain and ended on June 17, 2006 in Gothenburg ( Sweden), the headquarters of the sponsors of "Volvo Car Corporation " and " Volvo Group".

Total Balance

Stage winner

The boat Sunergy and Friends was renamed after the acquisition of a new sponsor from the second stage in ING Real Estate / Brunel. On the last long stage from New York to Portsmouth, the Dutchman Hans Horrevoets went from Team ABN AMRO Two night on board and came up (despite immediate -initiated man -overboard maneuver) died. On the same stage of the boat Movistar had to be abandoned because of damage to the keel pivot mechanism occurred, which led to a severe water ingress. The Team Movistar, was successfully salvaged by ABN AMRO Two, shortly after they had lost their sailors.

Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009

The Volvo Ocean Race was sailed on 4 October 2008 to 27 June 2009 boats of the type Volvo Open 70.

The yacht Ericsson 4 placed on the first leg from Alicante to Cape Town on a new sailing record for monohulls. They broke through October 29, 2008 at 18:45 GMT clock first yacht the barrier of sailed 600 nautical miles in 24 hours with a sailing distance of 602.66 nautical miles ( = 1116.126 km ). The average speed of Ericsson 4 was accordingly in the record run 25.11 knots ( = 46.5 km per hour).

After the third stage of the Team Russia had to give up because of the financial crisis, no other sponsor had been found.

On the fourth stage to Qingdao, the fleet was overtaken by a storm with up to 50 knots of wind and 14 meters high, steep waves in the Strait of Luzon between the Philippine island of Luzon and Taiwan. At the yachts partly emerged as serious damage that Telefonica Black had repented with broken fuselage to rescue the yacht. Since the damage could not be fixed, the team gave up later. Delta Lloyd also had to turn in the Strait of Luzon and sail under the protective coast to repair a broken oar, a torn mainsail and a damaged mast track. The team gave up. Green Dragon had a break in front annular frame, which had partially detached from the fuselage, so that its structure was weakened and threatened a break. The Ericsson 3 had interrupted the fourth stage to repair the damaged yacht in Keelung on the northern tip of Taiwan. She had taken up the race again on 11 February 2009 and had arrived on 14 February at 10:01 GMT in Qingdao, in order to secure four points for fifth place. The previously located on the second place team Telefonica Blue had voluntarily taken a three-point penalty on himself. Like the retired second team boat Telefonica Black in Singapore, the oars were replaced. Telefonica Black were then deducted three points for the exchange.

In a very tight race Ericsson 4 happened first yacht the gate " 36 ° south latitude " on the north -eastern tip of New Zealand, only 32 minutes later, Ericsson 3 was followed in third place lying, Puma passed the gate 42 minutes behind Ericsson 4 Ericsson 3 took only minutes after the " scoring gate " a completely different course northeast. The yacht successfully tried, to sit through a regular lay to the northeast, away from the field on the back of a high pressure area. The first yacht to cross the so-called " scoring Gates" means half the stage victory.

The tactics of Ericsson 3 skipper Magnus Olsson with the new, who replaced the injured skipper Anders Lewander in Qingdao, opened, and it led to Cape Horn with 44 nautical miles from Ericsson 4 was followed by Puma and Green Dragon. A forestay break on Telefonica Blue was barely repaired without loss of the mast. The yacht fell off the first back to the last place and was not fully loaded. While the rounded Cape Horn field, she lay back 500 nautical miles.

The remaining seven teams took only seven days for approximately 2,550 miles from Boston to Galway. In the end, they were separated by just five hours and four minutes. This fast Atlantic crossing could have won almost every team. With luck, Ericsson won 4, even though it had happened as the third yacht Wertungstor ( Eistor ).

After very different weather conditions with strong winds after the start, current doldrums and variable winds in the English Channel and the North Sea to the finish line after 950 nautical miles was very tight back in Marstrand. Ericsson 4 skippered Thorben Grael won with only 8 minutes ahead and Puma made ​​it that long lying in front Irish Green Dragon one minute to intercept the target. Skipper Ked Read has with Puma now every chance to second place in the overall standings.

The short sprint stage from Marstrand to Stockholm was overshadowed by the spectacular crash of the Spanish yacht Telefonica Blue skipper Bouwe Bekking, who lost all chances of winning the second place in the overall standings. Shortly after the start, the yacht had driven at a speed of 16 knots one depicted in the charts underwater rocks. Bouwe Bekking: "It's clearly our own fault, we thought we were in the lee of the rock.. " The impact was so strong that the entire rear end came out of the water. Telefonica Blue had to interrupt the stage, but could repair the damage to the keel in time to the in -port race in Stockholm. The finish in Stockholm was very tight again: After 525 nautical miles to Ericsson 3 and Puma provided a turning duel at lower wind. The Swedes were beaten by three boat lengths of Puma and awarded the possible home win. Ericsson 4 was prematurely overall winner due to the large projection points, which all remaining competitors fairly recognized.

The Spanish Telefonica Black skipper Fernando Echavarri wins with surprising and extremely fine with two and a half boat lengths ahead of the long -leading puma, the muffed a turning duel just before the finish of the last sprint stage.

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012

The last Volvo Ocean Race took place in 2011 /2012. Start was in Alicante ( Spain) and the destination was Galway in Ireland.

Some changes to the rules were made. While in the past took place only in certain ports in-port races, this will now be carried out on all stops. In addition, the overseas stages to be upgraded in the scoring against the in-port races and the scoring gate. From a technical perspective, the construction of test boats is prohibited. Also, the number of allowed modifications to keel, rudder and fins is limited. Limiting the Number of sails and spare parts ( for example, only a replacement mast ) should also allow teams with lesser budget participation.

On July 2 at 00:49:11 UTC Franck Cammas and his crew reached " Groupama " the final port of Galway as the overall winner.

Team

Route

The following route was taken:

• Alicante ( Spain) → Start
• Cape Town ( South Africa)
• Abu Dhabi ( United Arab Emirates)
• Sanya ( China)
• Auckland (New Zealand)
• Itajai (Brazil )
• Miami ( USA)
• Lisbon ( Portugal)
• Lorient ( France)
• Galway ( Ireland) → Target

The stage from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi made ​​in advance for headlines, as it passes through the most dangerous seas in the world. To escape, especially of piracy off the Somali coast, the stage was divided into two sections. The first leads to an undisclosed point in the Indian Ocean, where the boats to be loaded onto a freighter. It is envisaged that this it to just before the coast of Abu Dhabi transported under arms protection while the crew members arriving separately and finally take the regatta again. Itinerary and destination point are also held here secret. During the stay in especially dangerous sea areas also watch the live broadcast will be interrupted.

Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015

At the start of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 on October 29, 2011 in Alicante the title sponsor Volvo announced plans to extend its activities in this regatta. The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race will start in autumn 2014.