VOR TOURISTS EXPO 2

VOLVO OCEAN RACE TOURISTS EXPO

PART 2

This is collection of images depicting the festivities that took place at the start of the 2nd leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-35.  Some of the images below are hand written messages from the race teams prior to the start of Volvo Ocean Race 2nd leg. Its a tourists Expo at the waterfront with thousands of onlookers, spectators, visitors, and sailing fans everywhere.

The large tent structure houses the demo replica of the Volvo 65

The Volvo Ocean Race Yachts mooring closely watched by the  huge faces of the skippers.

The Volvo Ocean Race route with the designated stopovers. 

Mistrals performing as the Volvo Ocean Race Leg comes to an end.

The moorings of the yachts whilst they were out racing.

The backdrop of the Volvo ocean race with table mountain on the left and Signal Hill on the right.

The Volvo Ocean Race Sailors Pub.

Dongfeng Headquarters 

Dongfeng trucks flanking the martial Arts demo stage.

The Ocean Race show studio & cinema.

Lego scale model of  the SCA yacht.

Volvo exhibition hall on the left with the silver dome in the background to the right

The Volvo logo is quite pervasive.

VOR TOURISTS EXPO 1

VOLVO OCEAN RACE TOURISTS EXPO

PART 1

The Volvo Ocean Race expo was designed to deliver a standard experience for all visitors / spectators / tourists in each country where the yachts are destined to stop over - a tourists expo like no other in the world. I suspect that the Volvo ocean race media props, race team exhibits, yacht scale models, parapahania, structures and vehicles are transported so each of the stopovers whilst the yachts are still at sea. Whether or not I'm right is pure speculation but the likelihood that duplicates of everything is remanufactured in the respective countries is very slim. The following images will gives you some idea of the  race villages at Alicante, Cape Town and Abu Dhabi looked like and what the race villages at Sanja, Auckland, Itajai, Newport, Lisbon, Lorient, The Hague and Gothenburg will look like. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is a lot more happening than meets the  eye. The volvo Ocean Race coincided with a businesses expo in Cape Town and the possibility is that the same is happening or at least going to happen at each stop over. There was a big screen event about Germany in the amphitheater, with business conferences and exhibitions in several of the adjoining buildings in the waterfront and the foreshore much like the Seda expo that was held in the CCITT venue just outside of the waterfront.

 

VOLVO 65

It is the first time in the history of yacht racing that seven identical yachts were specifically manufactured to race one another. The yacht in question is the Volvo 65. It is this yacht, that will  indicate at the end of the race who the best racing team really is and probably who the best yacht builders are. Thus far it is very difficult to say, in fact impossible to say which team will win,  since just less than one third of the total race distance has been covered.  

In my opinion, Volvo is planning to produce the Volvo 65 as a commercial yacht with a proven track record of robustness, sailability, performance, seaworthiness, style, durability etc.. When partnered with inmarsat, the Volvo 65 becomes a sort after small vessel  worthy of purchase. Good on you Volvo!

The Abu Dhabi team consist of  the most experience sailors whose collective seamanship won  them the 1st leg of the Volvo ocean race. Team Brunel also consists of racing stalwarts whose collective seamanship won them the 2nd Leg of the Volvo ocean race.   However the most interesting contenders in the Volvo ocean race is undoubtedly the Chinese  French team "Dongfeng Racing" with sailors with only six months worth of  sailing experience yet has been constant in taking second place in both the completed legs of the Volvo Ocean race. Having said that, my money is on the Dongfeng Team because  what they lack in experience they definitely makeup in determination. The images below is about the Volvo 65 yacht, its construction, its design, its layout, its fitments, etc...

The Volvo 65 hull without the deck with all 7 bulkheads visible.

The amazing thing about the Volvo 65 is its interior and outer shell is composed of  carbon fibre composite construction as can be seen above and in the successive images below. The downside of this composite material is that because it is black, therefore very dark inside the yacht and considering there are no portholes, it is extremely hot inside as well.

Transparent view of the Volvo 65 stitched together from 3 images.

Cross section of the Volvo 65 split along its centre panning out at 45 degrees at the stern.

Internal Wiring for the Electronics navigation Console mounted on the carbon fibre composite bulkhead

The cooking Station bolted down in place

Navigation station inside Volvo 65

A huge Volvo 65 Lithium Iron Power Supply (battery) necessary for all the electronics on board.

24V  regulator 

Left image is the door  the first bow bulkhead, right image exposes a storage area behind the door.

The stainless steel rod is the port rudder control mechanism house inside the stern storage hatch

The stern storage hatch beneath the skippers wheel

Aluminum tube and net constructed bunk beds, four port side and four starboard

Red switch / isolator seen through the glass top is connected to the battery in the adjacent compartment

Powerful Diesel Engine and alternator powering  the Volvo 65

Sat-Nav System and 2 x 16 man lifeboats

Brookes & Gatehouse Serial / Analogue Marine Instrumentation

TEAM VESTAS WIND - WE'LL BE BACK

WE'LL BE BACK SAYS VESTAS WIND CREW

At this moment in time we sadly say goodbye to Team Vestas Wind.  The sailors of the six competing yachts has been in contact with them, via radio and email, sympathizing and offering moral support with hopes that Vestas Wind is not too badly damaged so that  that could get back into the race.   While Vestas crew are safely on land, efforts to salvage the Vestas Wind wreck still grounded on the Cargados Carajos Shoals at St. Brandon Íle du Sud is underway.  

However, Team Vestas Wind is speculating about getting back into the race since there is talk by their sponsors  to try to get them back into the race with a brand new yacht since the original Vestas Team Yacht is too badly damaged to do repairs. The million dollar question is, can they get a new yacht built in time? Meanwhile Chris Nicholson and his crew have been debriefed by the race officials in Abu Dhabi and will shortly return home to their respective countries if another Volvo 65 cannot be built in time.

Vestas Wind lies wrecked in the shallows, off the coast of Mauritius

Chris Nicholson skipper of Vestas Winds

Team Vestas Wind sailors and photographer

Vestas Wind motoring in the bay

Team Vestas Wind Expo Waterfront Cape Town

The Original Vestas Wind Yacht prior to departure from Cape Town

Final preparations before departure

Teams Vestas Wind messages.