The Volvo Ocean Race is an around the World sailing challenge that happens every three years. It is a MASSIVE undertaking with nine or 10 legs in total and takes over nine months to complete. And they’re in Cape Town in a couple days time! They will undergo repairs and the sailors get rest until the 15th of November when the yachts will leave Cape Town for the second leg of the race to Kochi in India. The race ends next year on the 27th of June in St. Petersberg.

Pay attention, because this is a BIG deal!

 

The best of the best.
Top Gun on water..

The current race started in Alicante, Spain, on October 11, 2008 and includes, for the first time, stopovers in the Middle East and Asia. This latest route covers nearly 39,000 nautical miles and is expected to reach a cumulative TV audience of 2 billion worldwide.

And let me tell you a couple more things. These guys suffer drastic sleep deprivation and, with a main meal of freeze dried, they loose between eight and 12 kg’s per leg of the race! They suffer radical extremes in temperatures from -20 degrees to 45 degrees. They brave ridiculous seas (waves up to 100 feet and 110 km/h winds) and sometimes sit for days twiddling their thumbs. They don’t shower, shave, brush their teeth and only change their base layer about every 5 days. The race has seen the death of 3 sailors so far.. This is the Everest of sailing, my friends.

But enjoy this – there are eight South Africans sailing in the Volvo Ocean Race and on Kosatka (Team Russia) there are two; Cape Town’s very own Mikey Joubert and Camron Wills! It must be pretty awesome rolling into your home town on one of these puppies!

 

Kosatka, with two Cape Town boys on board!

 

The V&A Waterfront (where everyone except Partners accept American Express cards) is almost ready for them and it looks like all the bases have been spread out of the waterfront. Opposite Quay Four is “The Volvo Dome”, where you can watch footage from the boats….and next to Ferrymans is the Volvo Marquee…which will be open to the public soon. There is the Red Puma Container where you can buy awesome Puma Racing Clothing/Watches/Shoes…etc…

The sailors have been at sea now for 18 days……They are expected to arrive between the 2nd and the 4th of November and the last boats should be in late Sunday or even Monday…

 

Welcome home!
Thanks! Great to be back! What’s been happening?
Well, the Springbok emblem was vomitted on.
What?
Nothing, Howz the race been?

 

Now I’ve done my research and those in the know tell me that the best place to see them arrive will be the Clock Tower side and Quay Four side. The finish line for the first leg will be marked outside the harbour by committee boats.

The boats will undergo repairs and the sailors get rest while they are here and the fleet is off again on the 15th of November to there next destination Kochi in India.

Ericsson4 is leading the fleet ahead of Puma at the moment and if you go to www.volvooceanrace.org you can find out LOADS more.

The racing village is open from the 3 until the 15 th of November.

Get involved, this only happens every three years. At the rate you’re going, you won’t be around for the next one.

Fatty.

 

To buy your own yacht, without sails, don’t be shy of popping your nose into Boating World… mm mm they have some beauties!

Oh, and be sure to check out the Puma boat at www.pumaoceanracing.com which was built by Sean Carkeek from Cape Town. Hmm… Carkeek… I know that surname…

 

[thanks jules]