VOLVO OCEAN RACE EXPO CAPE TOWN

VOLVO OCEAN RACE CAPE TOWN

 The Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 is the world's toughest sailing race and the greatest effort towards foreign relations ever which started on the 2nd October 2014 in Alicante. Six teams of yachtsmen and one team of yacht's-women competing for the Volvo Ocean Race - around the World Cup. Racing for a total distance of 38739  nautical miles,  from Alicante in Spain and ending in Gothenburg in Sweden. An experience each and every yachtsman and yachtswoman will cherish for the rest of the sailing days much like my part in the Cape2Rio Race replays in my mind as if it were only yesterday. Then there was the Cape Town to Punta del Este race and the Cape Town to St. Malo race that left behind unforgettable memories.

Alicante to Cape town was the 1st leg of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The Volvo Ocean Race Cup - photo courtesy of Volvo Ocean Race and Inmarsat.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE CAPE TOWN

The Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 Expo is taking place right now , and the sailing exhibition has been hosted here in the Waterfront, Cape Town since the 1st November and will continue for some time after the yachts depart on the 19th November 2014. Cape town is the second leg of the 'Volvo Ocean Race', and the stop-over for the yachts which sailed the first leg from Alicante in Spain. From Cape Town they will depart for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Thereafter they're off to Sanya in China, then to Auckland in New Zealand,  Etaji in Brazil, Newport in the United States of America, then Lisbon in Portugal, Lorient in France,  The Hague in the Netherlands and finally Gothenburg in Sweden. The Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 will finish six months from now with the final in-Port race on the 27 June 2015. Total distance of the the race is 38739 nautical miles. See route map below.

The moorings for the 7 yachts can be seen in front of the boat in the water - floating quays.
The yachts were sailing offshore are competing in the in Port Race.

Volvo Ocean Race 2015-15 Route

Nearest to furthest: Abu Dhabi, Dongfeng, Brunel, Vestas, Alimedica, SCA and Mapfre Yachts moorings.

Today the 7 teams are out 'offshore sailing' competing in the In-Port race. Meanwhile their support teams are intermingling with the spectators and visitors. The Dongfeng Race Team  "The Chinese" entertained the crowds with martial arts and Tai Chi demonstrations. For updated information about the teams and the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 route, download the live streaming app from iTunes or Google Play and 'travel around the world'. But first, let's plot the positions of the yachts in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15.

Volvo ocean race Alicante - Cape Town

Abu Dhabi Ocean racing, 1st
Dongfeng Race Team, 2nd
Team Brunel,  3rd
Team Vestas Wind, 4th
Team Alvimedica, 5th
Team SCA, 6th
Team MAPFRE, 7th

These 7 teams will be referred to by their nicknames in future blogs.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing - "The Emirates"
Dongfeng - "The Chinese"
Team Brunel -"The Dutchies"
Team Vesta Wind - "The Danes"
Team Alvimedica - "The Youngsters" 
Team SCA -"The Girls"
Team MAPFRE, "The Spaniards"

Dongfeng which means "East Wind" represents the Chinese Truck manufacturer sponsoring  the Chinese team. It is the first time a Chinese team is has entered the Volvo Ocean Race even though several  of the Chinese crew have never crossed the ocean.

Dongfeng is the official sponsor of the Chinese team.

The Dongfeng Truck face above compares very favourably with the Volvo Truck and Bus faces which will be shown in successive blogs. In the next Blog we meet the racing teams About the Teams..

Three days before the start of the Volvo Ocean race 2014-15, notice there are no flags.

The day before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, notice the flags.