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The Volvo Ocean Race The ultimate in world-class sporting competition

Nothing compares to the allure, adventure and danger of the seven seas. Combine that with an ocean race so gruelling, it is reserved for only the toughest men and women around, and the result is an experience from which lasting memories are crafted. SA Deluxe recently had the opportunity to leave Terra Firma behind, and set sail with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, sponsored by Swiss timepiece manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen.

Not only are IWC the official timekeepers for the illustrious race, they also sponsor the prestigious IWC Schaff­hausen 24-hour Speed Record Challenge which rewards the team that covers the greatest distance in any period of 24 hours during each stage of the race.

Photos: © Volvo

Extreme Challenges

Masts have snapped like toothpicks, hulls have been smashed into rocks and their is a constant threat of containers that bob in and out of sight. Sailors have even perished after being swept overboard in extreme conditions. The human stories of on-board life are filled with emotion, challenging relationships and the understandably immense stresses and strains of a nine-month, 71,745 kilometre voyage around the world.

The competitors must also acclimatise to a bewildering gamut of temperatures, from a sweltering 40-degree Celsius in the Tropics, to below freezing temperatures in the Antarctic, where there is the added danger of hitting icebergs. Other, more exotic hazards have also been encountered, from flying fish – that can pierce the deck like a drone missile – to wallowing whales, which can easily adversely alter the shape and buoyancy of the boat. Thankfully, this year, the threat of piracy has receded.

The sheer difficulty of the race cannot be over-emphasised. Crews have to sleep secured by seatbelts on their carbon-fibre bunks, and there is precious little rest for the weary; if a sail needs to be changed or there is a change of direction needed, then everyone has to get up and help. And then there’s the ‘stack’ - some 500 kilograms of supplies stored inside the boat in addition to a ton of sail weight on deck – that must be shifted from side to side, whenever the boat turns. Mapping the weather and planning the route accordingly is known to be one of the most stressful jobs on board. The mental and physical demands of life on board don’t leave anyone much time for reflection.

There are in-port races at every host city on the route which can last for up to an hour and count towards a team’s total score. Like the Olympics, there are no cash prizes for winning; however, the winning team is presented with the illustrious Volvo Ocean Race trophy.

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Aiming to win Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is the only team of the six to have taken part in the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean Race, and return for the 2014/15 edition. The British skipper, Ian Walker, and performance manager, Neal McDonald assembled a handpicked team including UAE sailor Adil Khalid. “We are a true international mix. We have members from the previous race and some new faces, all of whom are in the elite category of world-class sailors. We aim to win this race, and thanks to IWC Schaffhausen, we have exactly the reliable backup we need,” says Walker.

The team’s general manager, Phil Allen explained, “The target this time round is to improve on the fifth place finish achieved on its debut.

We looked at the things we did well and things we didn’t do well and we were self-critical, which has resulted in us setting ourselves up differently.”

sailing Perhaps the greatest and most welcomed waves have been created by Team SCA, the first all-female team to compete since 2001.

In a sport known for inventiveness, technical excellence, outstanding craftsmanship, a spirit of adventure and masculinity, these 12 extraordinary women, (11crew and one on-board reporter), have caught the eye of the sailing world and general public alike. Like their male counterparts, they have endured two gruelling years of planning and training, and are finally getting to put what they learned in practice, to the test in the sailing world’s most arduous race.

The first leg from Alicante to Cape Town was not a gentle start and they will continue to work and sleep in four-hour-on, four-hour-off shifts until the finish, which is at Gothenburg, Sweden in June this year. While for spectators sailing can appear a tranquil endeavour, the reality is that on board, you will face some of the most strenuous and taxing physical challenges in the sporting world. Some of the physical challenges these teammates will put their bodies through include enduring three full minutes of energy-sapping-pumping of cog handles, undertaken at full speed to control the sails in order to change direction.

Photos: © Volvo

Women making waves

Sailing

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Staying relevant

In an effort to cut costs and attract a larger fleet, the hugely successful chief executive, Knut Frostad, made game-changing alterations to the rules for this latest race. Volvo sanctioned the decision to develop a fleet of identical monohull yachts called the Volvo Ocean 65, a 20-metre beauty built by a consortium of European boatyards, all to an identical design. The Spaniard in charge of Mapre Team’s entry believes the savings are huge. “Compared with the last race, costs are probably 30 or 40 percent less and without that innovation from Volvo, hardly any of us could have been able to be here.” About €12 million is spent on the boat alone, before additional expenses like running the team, communications and entertaining guests. Looking after our sponsors and their activations adds between 20 and 30 percent to the whole budget.”

The Everest of sailing

Photos: © Volvo

In its 41-year history, the Volvo Ocean Race has become one of the most recognised and established sailing events on the international sporting calendar. Quite simply the Everest of sailing, it is an authentic adventure, where people risk their lives while sailing around the world in some of the most advanced sailing boats on our planet. It stretches the world’s best crews to their limits and is one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world. Richard Webb