The Volvo Ocean Race – We Live for This!

Volvo Ocean Race – Glancing Back

Sailing and the ocean is an integral part of the culture in the Swedish west coast. Although heavily industrialized and leaders in global technology, Sweden is still very much a sea-faring nation. It’s no surprise then that companies with Swedish roots, such as Volvo and BERG Propulsion would be so intricately involved in this Race Around the World known as the Volvo Ocean Race.

The Volvo Ocean Race was born out of the spirit of genuine adventure, competition and love of sport. While sailing conditions today can be compared to sailing conditions in 1973 when the race started, the boats cannot. Back then, the boats were standard 1970s-era cruisers. Back then, having a bottle (or several bottles) of wine onboard during the race was not unfathomable. Back then, having a freshly cooked steak in the middle of the open seas during a grueling leg was a reality.

Constant Evolution

A lot has changed since then. The natural evolution of technology and innovation has definitely changed many aspects of the Volvo Ocean Race. Yacht design has made leaps and bounds, something that is apparent even from the most recent Volvo Ocean Race campaigns. Second-generation designs such as the one on PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG yacht Mar Mostro shows how much can change even from one single campaign to the next. Add to that the intense physical training that the sailors participating in the Volvo Ocean Race endure in the months (nearly a year!) prior to the start of the race, and then the science of maintenance and conservation that the sailors employ during their time at sea, and it’s a whole different world today. In today’s Volvo Ocean Race a sailor may sink their teeth into a nicely cooked steak – in their dreams, after they’ve eaten the specially prepared, freeze-dried fuel that is available onboard the yachts.

Being the Rock

Shore team dynamics have evolved as well. While the fleet competing in the Volvo Ocean Race may feel completely alone in the middle of the ocean, someone is always watching, waiting, monitoring and following. “Race Control” – the official name of the Volvo Ocean Race hub where PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG and the rest of the boats are monitored – can quite possibly be called the nerve center of the Volvo Ocean Race. Duty officers stationed at Volvo Ocean Race headquarters in Alicante, Spain monitor the fleet around the clock, twenty-four hours a day during the entire race. Race Control monitors everything – from official race data to positioning to the status onboard the boats and the sailors’ wellbeing. Team shore crews make sure everything leading up to the legs – logistics, flights, passports, clothing, accommodations, boat maintenance, boat repair, financials, sponsors, VIP guests, food, public relations, press, media, etc. – are operating as smoothly as possible in all of the ports during the entire competition. And they are an invaluable pillar of support for the sail teams as well – just ask the PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG team. When Mar Mostro broke its mast and the sailors were stranded in the middle of the South Pacific, the PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG shore teams quickly organized to get them the help they needed, and fast. As sponsors of the team, BERG Propulsion worked hand in hand with the shore team, with Volvo Ocean Race headquarters and with the sailors onboard Mar Mostro to mobilize container ships, fuel, food, accommodation and transport to a safe location (in this case it was Tristan da Cunha island). This unexpected (sometimes referred to as the “unofficial leg”) event shows how shore team communications with the fleet has evolved, and how crucial it is now more than ever – especially with the threat of piracy (Cape Town to Abu Dhabi), massive increase in shipping traffic (Abu Dhabi to Sanya) and everything else under the sun (fishing nets, debris, injuries – you name it this race has got it or is sure to get it!)

Pushing the Limits

It’s not always good times. In fact, most of the time it’s back-breaking work for the sailors. They have to share minimal space to cook, eat, sleep, exist for weeks at a time without anything to see besides the actual sea. The sun can be scorching them one Leg, the wind cracking skin and blistering lips. The cold hard sea can be battering them the next, bringing with it the dangers (not to mention the sheer lack of comfort) of being cold, wet, hungry and having a limited change of clothes (forget about a shower after a hard days’ – or more accurate, after several hard days- of work. Factor in the real danger of the sport, pitch-darkness of the nights at sea, the remote areas of operation and just extreme fatigue and you’ve got an event that makes many people wonder why anyone in their right mind would willingly participate in this. In that very first race in 1973, the thrill and the adventure of what is now the Volvo Ocean Race came hand in hand with the peril and boundary-pushing conditions that the teams encountered.

At the Core

It may seem as if there is no comparison between the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race and the first Race Around the World. But the core is the same. Yes, there are now major sponsors and massive spectator events at ports. Sure, media coverage on the PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG is like never before and celebrity VIPs are a common sight onboard the race yachts (so far a prince, a pop star and a pop/dance band onboard the Mar Mostro alone) performing in the Volvo Ocean Race village. Sponsor involvement and exposure is paramount as well. But thankfully none of this has diluted the race, the sport or the competitors. The wind is the same. The sea hasn’t changed. And the sailors may have different names and faces but inside that fire is the same.

The team spirit. The competition. The thrill and the magnetic pull of the open ocean and just being out there. Extreme. Raw. Wild. The sailors participating in the Volvo Ocean Racelive for this.

And now so do we.

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