HAGUE PIT STOP

HAGUE PIT STOP

The Race Village in the Hague was very well attended and the entire layout of the displays, the lay of the land and the installed entertainment so much resembles the Cape Town Race Village even up to and including the big-wheel. Even the dolores on the quays and the dock has a resemblance, not to mention the Dutch people with similar features many of whom look so much  like the South African "Dutchmen". Way back in the 1600's Cape Town South Africa attracted a large contingent of colonial Dutch settlers, whose offspring still live here, so that Afrikaans spoken there quite closely resembles Dutch and is somewhat comprehensible to Dutch speakers. To me, it just looks like this ancient link and its people influenced the layout of Cape Town docks, perhaps to look like the "motherland".

VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2014-2015

VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2014-2015

The Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015 has thus far been a spectacular event and a major experience for each of the ocean going crew and in no particular order, starting with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Dongfeng Race Team, Mapfre, Team Alvimedica, Team Brunel, Team SCA and Team Vestas Wind. The sponsors of this race Volvo Penta, Inmarsat, Musto, Maersk, Abu Dhabi, Cobham, IWC schaffhausen, GSC, Truephone, Mastervolt, Southerspars, GoPro, B&G, Octoshape, Gottifredi Mafioli etc, did a really  spectacular job of involving the general public on a global level. Not to mention good foreign relations between all the race village participants.  This was truly a round-the-world-race, with the yachts zig-zagging the equator at least four times.  The Shipyard crew's timing was impeccable and got to their destinations on time and saw to it, that the race villages were rigged out and opened on time starting in Alicante in Spain and finishing off at the home of Volvo Penta, Gothenburg Sweden.

The destinations were specifically chosen for their spectacular views, especially Cape Town. None of the other race villages have a mountainous backdrop that can compare with Cape Town. The Volvo  65 realy is a fantastic yacht, designed for speed, seaworthiness and ease of handling with sufficient bunch space for a large family. With its Volvo Penta engine, Inmarsat Satellite navigation systems and its B&G communications receiver and reverse osmosis drinking water  system and Mastervolt generator, the Volvo 65 is a must have for may intent on owning a yacht. Each of the yachts, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Dongfeng Race Team, Mapfre, Team Alvimedica, Team Brunel. Team SCA and Team Vestas Wind were kitted out with 8 On-Board cameras as well. 

I had a yacht, a Compass 47 with rear davits manufactured by compass marine in Somerset west some 30 years ago. The yacht was a marvel but unfortunately I had to liquidate it prior to getting married, and that's a story for another day.  The VOR was a really well planned event  because all the yachts were rigged with high definition on-board video cameras recording all the action and interaction between all the crew members for the past 8 months. What we can now look forward to, are action packed documentaries - reality TV- of all that has happened on each of the yachts. This will be the main spinoff of the Volvo Ocean Race, which can be used as a leaching tool with a multi-language voice over, catering for all the nationalities that partook in the Volvo Ocean Race. As a sightseeing  documentary it would highlight the best views, shops and restaurants of the 10 stopover cities. This will be strategically broadcast so that the Volvo Ocean Race 2017 will be twice the epic of Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15. 

GOTHENBURG IN-PORT RACE

GOTHENBURG IN-PORT RACE

Team Brunel won the Inmarsat Gothenburg In-Port Volvo Ocean Race. The jubilation is self evident and this win gained them 2nd position in the overall race. They have had a great race from the very start and a stiff competitor for the ABu Dhabi Racing Team. Big congrats to Team Brunel and I am more than certain they will be back for the 2016 Volvo Ocean Race.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE RACE RESULTS

VOLVO OCEAN RACE RACE RESULTS 

The Volvo Ocean Race has finally come to an end after 8 months of nail biting action. Abu Dhabi ocean racing has won the overall Volvo Race with a total of 24 points, leading its closest competitor --Team Brunel who won the Inmarsat Gothengurg In-Port Race- by a whole 5 points. My heart goes out to the Dongfeng Race Team and the Vestas Wind Team for the mishaps they experienced and the points they lost because of it. The VOR was a race filled with emotions for every crew member of each of the 7 yachts. Every yachtsman's experiences so completely different from the other with enough memories to last a life time, filled with stories of the events at high seas, ranging from nausea, to extreme cold, to sleep deprivation, to wet clothes, to body odors, to communication differences, to fostering new bonds and relations, to despair, to anger, to body aches and pain, to mention just a few. Spectators would henceforth look very differently at yachts especially the Volvo 65 which is an amazing design made both for speed and comfort.

GOTHENBURG RACE VILLAGE

GOTHENBURG RACE VILLAGE

Alvimedica won leg 9 of the Volvo Ocean Race however Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing won the overall Alicante Spain to Gothenburg Sweden, Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 as predicted. The Gothenburg In-port race is due to take place in a little more than 2 days and considering Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has 25 points thus far, for winning the In-Port races, it is a given that they are the absolute winners of the Alicante Spain to Gothenburg Sweden, Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15. The images below and the Dutch jubilation more than speaks for itself. Congratulations to the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing Team in anticipation of their absolute win.