The Volvo Ocean Race (Whitbread)

[Sydde]

The Volvo Ocean Race (formerly Whitbread Classic)

Anyone follow this?

Some years ago, I encountered coverage on one of those sports channels of a sailboat race that looked kind of ordinary from the footage, but then I saw the scale of the thing. At the time, they were on a leg that was, as I recall, from Miami to Capetown in 21 meter single-mast boats with a crew of 11. Seemed just incredible at the time (still kind of breath-taking, really).

Yesterday, the boats for the current race left Auckland NZ on leg 5, just shy of 7000 miles across the wide Pacific, through Drake Passage (around Cape Horn) up to Itajai Argentina. In a way, it is kind of boring to follow, weeks of sailing, but really a feat for these guys.

 

[Grey Beard]

Yep, it's on our news and sport channels quite a lot. Of course we have an interest with our boat "Camper" (quite a freudian name)

From another happy camper.

KGB

 

[acidfast7]

I haven't followed them this year, but I did extensively during 2009 when they stopped in Stockholm on the way to STP.

 

[sim667]

I dont follow the ocean race so much, but I do watch the americas cup. I prefer match and course racing to navigational, its more exciting.

 

[iJohnHenry]

Loved watching this series in the 80's-90's. Brave people in the Southern Ocean.