race information 

Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09

Overview:

The Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race) is a yacht race around the world, held every four years - until the upcoming edition which will start after just 3-year break. It's named after its sponsor, Volvo. Though the route is changed to accommodate various ports of call, the race typically departs Europe in September. 

There are changes again for the 2008-09 event, as the race course will pass through the Middle East, China and India for the first time. The longest stretch of open sea to test the crews is from Qingdao to Rio De Janeiro.

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 Race". The race has been greatly modified in the ensuing thirty odd years, but remains true to its original goal: A test of will, courage and skill against the best (or more accurately, worst) nature has to offer. Along with the Vendée Globe , VELUX 5 Oceans Race and Global Challenge, the Whitbread (now Volvo Ocean Race) is the ultimate sailing adventure.

Travel Places are delighted to assist competitors, sponsors, family and spectators, with the experience of managing travel for parts of the 2005-06 event firmly under our belt. 

Race Course & Schedule:

The first offshore leg of Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 will start in Alicante, Spain, on October 11th, 2008, with in-port race seven days earlier. The Russian city of St.Petersburg will be the finishing port on the 10th leg of the race, over some 37,000 nautical miles later.

Seven boats are confirmed as entrants in 2008-2009 race: Ericsson Racing Team (2 boats), Alicante (2 boats), Puma Racing Team, Russian Challenge and Green Team, with more entries expected. This will be the first time that the race will pass through Asia, with a second in-port race of the 2008-2009 edition to be held in Singapore.

Volvo Ocean Race has moved forward with its plans to bring the 2008-09 event to India and it now looks likely that the major southwestern port of Kochi will be the stopover on the new race route through the Middle East and Asia.

Boston will be the only North American port of the race. The 2008-2009 race will be tracked using a Race Management System developed by UK company Cybit's maritime division.

 

 

In-Port Racing:

The 2008/09 event is similar to changes that were introduced in the 2005-2006 race, which included the first time the race has started outside the United Kingdom, and the use of a new class of boat, the Volvo Open 70. The new boats are about 1,000 kg lighter than the VO 60s used in the previous race, have more sail area and include canting keels.

With the popular addition of in-port racing in the 2005/06 event, which was intended to make the race more visible for spectators and sponsors, fleet racing has been continued for the 2008/09 event. Some of the legs are short, and finish in cities that are called "pit stops" designed to break up the longer legs into more manageable sections (and, of course, provide more media exposure). 

The fleet racing points count towards the teams' total score, ensuring spectacular viewing for around two hours for spectators at the following cities: Alicante, Singapore, Qingdao (host to the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regattas), Rio De Janeiro, Boston, Galway and Stockholm.

 

Boats:

Volvo Open 70 is a class of racing yachts designed for the Volvo Ocean Race.

Specifications:

  • Length overall: 21.5 m
  • Beam: 4.7 to 5.7 m
  • Draft: 4.5 m
  • Mainsail area: 172 m²
  • Headsail area: 140 m²
  • Spinnaker area: 500 m² (maximum)
  • Mast height: 31.5 m above water
  • Weight: 12,500 to 14,000 kg
  • Keel bulb: 4,500 kg (minimum)


Navigational Information:

Every place on Earth has its own location defined by its latitude and longitude coordinates.
Latitude lines are called parallels because they run parallel to the Equator and to each other.
A latitude tells your position in terms of how far north or south of the Equator you happen to be.

The Equator is 0° latitude. The North Pole is at 90 ° North latitude and the South Pole is at 90° South latitude. The lines that run vertically around the world, connecting the North and South Poles, are called meridians and are the lines of longitude. The 0° longitude line, know as the Prime Meridian, passes through Greenwich, England.  Longitude tells your position east or west of the Prime Meridian. Halfway around the world, the 180° meridian is known as the International Dateline. 

 

Sailing images reproduced with kind permission of Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09, copyright laws apply.

 

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