Balmora moored

Out training, beaut day in sthlm!

Sail-World.com : Volvo Ocean Race: Abu Dhabi turns south towards Cape Horn

Sail-World.com : Volvo Ocean Race: Abu Dhabi turns south towards Cape Horn

We spent the best part of five hours hove to with the boat on its side to keep the water off the port side while the work was done. We are now back sailing cautiously as daylight turns into darkness. The repair seems strong so far and the crunching noises have stopped. We are currently just edging our way north east for better weather and to edge closer to land. As yet I cannot confirm our plans moving forward.

Currently the safety of the boat and crew remains the only priority and I am considerably more relaxed about that now than I was 24 hours ago. Only in adversity do you really get the full measure of a team’s strength and today everybody played their part in stabilising what could have been a very serious situation.

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012

Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race

Scrap for top spot continues as PUMA regain first

3 Apr 2012, 19:16UTC PUMA were back in the lead on Tuesday evening as the fight for first place in Leg 5 continued with arch rivals Groupama –- while Telefónica ramped up their assault on the leading pair.

Europa Tour to start in Barcelona

 

29.03.2012

Europa Tour to start in Barcelona

The city of Barcelona to host the race start following Istanbul’s withdrawal. Those teams participating in the event are keen to sail in race mode from Barcelona to La Rochelle via Lisbon.
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Telefónica reach Cape Horn, pull in for repairs

 

Diego Fructuoso/Team Telefonica/Volvo Ocean Race

Team Telefónica reached Cape Horn at 0405 GMT on Saturday and soon after suspended racing as they arrived at their pit stop destination.

Iker Martínez’s men were the third team to pass the milestone, after Groupama sailing team and PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG celebrated going by the tip of South America on Friday.

Telefónica were less than 200 nautical miles behind the top two at the 0400 GMT position report but that gap will grow significantly over the next 12 hours.

Telefónica suspended racing at 0427 UTC and finally opted to carry out their repairs at Martial Creek, a cove in Herschel Island in the Cabo de Hornos National Park, starting at 0640. Technical chief Horacio Carabelli is overseeing the repairs.
They hope to get everything completed in quick time and resume racing after 12 hours of suspending racing.

"We've just passed Cape Horn," reported MCM Diego Frusctuoso from the boat. You could only see the silhouette but it meant a lot to us, above all the ones who have never been here before -- Zane, Ñeti and me."

Groupama and PUMA were heading up through the South Atlantic towards the Falkland Islands with PUMA in hot pursuit.
Groupama had stretched their lead by one nautical mile in the three hours to 0400 UTC to be 36.3 nm clear of their second placed rivals.
The remainder of the fleet was making gains, as they too continued to race towards South America where they will suspend racing for repairs.
CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand remain 1397 nm behind the leaders and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing trailed more than 340 nm behind CAMPER.
CAMPER Media Crew Member Hamish Hooper this morning reported that the team have about 900 nm remaining until they reach Chile, where their shore crew are eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Hooper said the team marked the milestone of having 1000 miles to go with a social gathering, which helped buoy the team he reported.
“Everyone came up on deck from below like marmots emerging from a warm winter burrow,’’ he wrote from the boat. “It was interrupted with a gybe, which got everyone pretty excited over something to do. There was no shortage of positivity though, I made sure of that."
Hooper said the team were of course envious of PUMA and Groupama’s position, but were accepting of their reality and in good spirits.
“The mood on board is jovial, the acceptance of our situation is well sunk in and there is no shortage of jokes amongst the guys and conversation remains colourful on all things from batman to bread,’’ he said.
“It’s a good place to be. In a way this time on board now before we reach Chile has become our stop over because as soon as we dock it will be action stations, all guns blazing until we get the boat fixed and back sailing until we cross the finish line in Itajaí. Bring that on!”
* Story updated at 0452 GMT on Saturday, March 31; Pacific mistake corrected. Thanks for all those who spotted!

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 | Weather fortunes favour Telefónica

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 | Weather fortunes favour Telefónica

Stricken around-the-world yachtsman rescued by navy

(CNN) -- A French yachtsman badly injured during the Vendee Globe solo round-the-world race was rescued Saturday by an Australian Navy ship around 1,400 kilometers (850 miles) south of Perth.

Yann Elies, pictured aboard the Generali at the start of the Vendee Global race.

The frigate HMAS Arunta had been dispatched to rescue Yann Elies after he broke his left leg on Thursday when his boat, the Generali, slammed into a wave, knocking him into the deck.

He had managed to drag himself back into the 18-meter vessel's cabin but had been unable to reach any painkillers, food or water. Race officials had classed Elies as being in a life-threatening condition.

Two crew members transferred Elies aboard the Arunta earlier Saturday, according to the Vendee Globe Web site.

Read More:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/12/20/yachting.vendee.rescue/

Race from Cochin to Singapore: Volvo Ocean Race Leg 3 Begins

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH....
Been a mighty fine week for sailing it has!
Conditions in Cochin were near perfect for the start as the 8 yachts headed out for the next leg of the Volvo Ocean Race to Singapore and a stop over in China followed by a 3000 mile race across the Pacific to Rio,Brazil.

The eight boat fleet were greeted by thousands of local people who came to see the fleet depart.

Before the official start at 1530 local time (1000 GMT) the boats formed a Parade of Sail, which took place in the channel alongside the Race Village.

Thousands of spectators lined the river banks and in the Race Village itself to send the fleet off to Singapore. At sea, Ericsson 4 has taken the lead as the front of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet closes in on the scoring gate. Telefonica Blue remains within shouting distance, while Delta Lloyd is wounded at the back of the pack.
Read More

Start of Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race, Cochin to Singapore, 1200 miles.

Race Village, Fort Cochin

Making an Impact

"It is a unique part of the world and we want to show that through building a race village that can accommodate this race on its first visit to Asia."

The view from the top floor of the Cochin Port Trust building is spectacular, staring out from its vantage point at Willingdon Island over the curves of the Vembanad Lake. It is here where the Trust's chairman, N Ramachandran, has spent the last 10 months co-ordinating the operation to transform a city in south-western India into a host port for a global sporting event.

"It is a nice view," he agrees, but it is not his particular view that he deems important. "What is important is the world's view of the region as a tourist destination."

It is the reason why we are here. Way back on January 18, when the Cochin Port Trust and Kerala Tourist Board capped months of discussions by signing a port agreement with the race's organisers, it was another step in their mission to make Kerala a location of choice for the world's travellers.

"This race will enhance our visibility to the world," Ramachandran added. "It is a unique part of the world and we want to show that through building a race village that can accommodate this race on its first visit to Asia."

To that end, the operation has been enormous.

The Cochin site, stretched across more than two acres, has undergone the kind of facelift that an ageing film star would pay millions for. In this case the surgery has cost 300 million rupees, roughly 4.7 million EUR at today's exchange rate.

It has gone towards renovating a 40,000-square foot building to serve as the race office and media centre; a 60,000-square foot exhibition centre; and a programme of events that includes snake-boat racing, lots of music and a daily three-hour dose of cultural performances. Throw in a separate 200 million rupee development of a jetty, and it was a place transformed by the time the race village was inaugurated last night.

"A lot of hard work from a lot of people has gotten the site to this stage," Ramachandran said. "The challenge has been getting it done in time and finding sponsorship in a difficult economic time. A lot of people have worked hard on this."

Indeed, more than 500 people were given temporary employment in the final weeks to create an infrastructure that will support huge crowds of people over the fortnight of the stopover.

"We believe that at least 50,000 to 100,000 people will be visiting the race village on the important dates," Ramachandran revealed. "On the days in between we are expecting at least 50,000 footfalls."

The majority of visitors will be locals and domestic tourists from elsewhere in India, according to Ramachandran, but his hope is that foreigners and teams will discover what Kerala is shouting about. To underline his point, National Geographic Traveller magazine described it as one of the "10 paradises of the world".

So far that reputation has already propelled a healthy tourism industry. In 2007, 5.2 million foreign travellers visited the region, an increase of 20.37% on 2006. And some 66.4 million domestic travellers also visited, representing a 5.92% rise on the previous year.

The early signs for this year are good as well, with the figures from the first half of the year showing a growth of 19.23% against the corresponding data from 2006. But it is the desire for further growth that has motivated the decision to bring the race here.

Specifically, it is the media attention that the event generates. The event is expected to reach more than 1.8 billion TV viewers in more than 180 countries and the exposure has Dr Venu, secretary for Kerala Tourism, relishing the arrival of eight yachts and a flotilla of journalists.

"Apart from being the most high profile water sporting event that India has ever witnessed, the event would offer unparalleled global visibility to Cochin and Kerala," he said. "For nearly two weeks in December, Cochin will bask in the international media limelight."

The international media and all that consume it will get a nice view.

Breakfast while watching Shipping Traffic on the Bosphorus, Istanbul

This week Istanbul. Not very much different from living in a museum. 100 marks to the Ottoman Empire for some incredible architecture.

The view this morning of the shipping traffic on the Bosphorus.

Watch the latest episode of our monthly show

 
Keep up with the big stories in the sailing world, right here on CNN MainSail. You can find out who is leading the Volvo Ocean Race and Richard Bransons TransAtlantic record attempt with regular official updates here.

• SPEED SAILING: French trimaran sets another record, aims for big one
• VOLVO OCEAN RACE: Volvo fleet dodge pirates and arrive in India
• OLYMPICS: Sailing facility is first London 2012 Olympic venue completed
• PIRACY FEARS: Race boats, private charters, luxury yachts threatened
• LONDON 2012 GAMES: Olympic class announcement sparks criticizm
• ROLEX AWARDS: Ben Ainslie crowned ISAF World Sailor of the Year

Sailing the Hugo Boss Open 60

Seeking a Passage to India: Cape town to Cochin - Weeks Update

"You saw 90 km/h of wind and 50 ft waves yesterday, so seeing 60 km/h  winds and 30 ft waves today dosen't seem so bad.

There's an acclimation that happens out there, where what would seem crazy to most people starts to seem normal" - Indian Ocean Crossing, 2006

Who's New Onboard!

Dusyant Patel, ex-CEO Ericsson Racing Team who was instrumental in the success of the Ericssons team in the 2006 edition of the Volvo Ocean race Joins the 7Oceans Team.

We also welcome onboard Frontier Defence, covering the event for the Defence Industry and Chase Capital as sponsors.

 

Updates from Sea!

From the Volvo Ocean Race: Leg 2: South Africa to Cochin

Leg 2 Got In the South latitudes Bhavik will be faced with the roaring 40s, furious 50s  and screaming 60s – the prevailing westerly winds created by the Coriolis effect. With no landmass to slow them down as they scream around the planet, these winds are the strongest found anywhere on the planet creating some of the harshest sailing conditions imaginable.

For the next few thousand miles, from Cape Town to Cochin, its going to take sheer physical stength to keep the yacht going, as the Crew of the Vovlo Ocean Race rides on the low pressure systems of the the Southern Ocean. The 7Oceans Team will gain valuable data and experience from this leg of the race to enable Bhavik to face these conditions by himself, during his Solo Round the World record attempt.
Read More at http://volvooceanrace.org/news/article/2008/november/LEG-TWO-PREVIEW/

 
From the Vendee Globe: Giving it some

Bhaviks Ultimate Goal - Winning the Vendee Globe & IMOCA World Championship - The Formula 1 of Yacht Racing.

The send off was huge. Every vantage point along the canal from the haven of Les Sables d’Olonne (France) port to the sea was jammed deep with tens of thousands of well wishers.

The pace at the front of the fleet is incessant. The leading five are passing Madeira with Loïck Peyron hanging on to a lead of 13.6 miles, making nearly 16 knots of boat speed, ahead of Seb Josse (BT) who has taken back second and who lead last night.
Read More at http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/5627/giving-it-some.html

Volvo Ocean Race contenders face new sea challenges - Pirates off Somalia

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) -- The eight yachts taking part in the grueling round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race are poised to challenge new seas in a bid to avoid pirates off the coast of Somalia.

For the first time in its 35-year history, the event has included an Asian stop on its itinerary. The traditional second leg from Cape Town to Australia or New Zealand -- a journey of howling storms, fierce seas, biting cold and icebergs -- has been replaced by the unknown dangers awaiting the boats on a 4,450-mile journey to the Indian port of Cochin that begins on Saturday.

Several of the boats suffered storm damage on the first leg, and the crew of Ericsson 3 was busy replacing a keel on Friday, less than 24 hours before the race restarted.

Read More at http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/11/14/sailing.volvopreview.ap/index.html

An Update from France: Vendee Globe Starts

The send off was huge. Every vantage point along the canal from the haven of Les Sables d’Olonne port to the sea was jammed deep with tens of thousands of well wishers.

There were tears on the dockside as lines were slipped, and dozens and dozens of messages along the long stretch of sea walls that funneled the record sized fleet to sea – from the simple and direct, to the personal, or the generic ‘Yes We Can’. The atmosphere was everything that makes the Vendée Globe a truly unique experience. More than 300,000 people bid the 30 skippers on their way.
The record entry of 30 boats answered the start gun at 1302hrs (local time/1202GMT) under grey, threatening skies with an awkward swell and 13-18 knots of breeze — the skippers setting off in the knowledge that winds of up to 45 knots await them. 

VOR Overall Standings - Leg 1