Vestas

Volvo Leaders MAPFRE Suspend Racing for Repairs

Volvo Ocean Race overall leaders MAPFRE have been forced to suspend their race on the seventh leg from Auckland to Itaji in Brazil to undergo repairs to a damaged mast track, organisers said on Friday. A section of the mast track came unglued from the mast about five days ago and while the team had managed to keep racing with jury-rig solutions, skipper Xabi Fernandez decided to suspend racing to make proper repairs. The yacht was about six miles west of Cape Horn when they decided to suspend racing, organisers said. They were about 2,000 miles from the finish line.

British Volvo Ocean Race Crewmember Lost at Sea

A British Volvo Ocean Race crew member who fell overboard in the Southern Ocean is presumed lost at sea, organisers said on Tuesday. John Fisher, 47, had been competing with Hong Kong entry Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag on leg seven of the race from Auckland to Itajai in Brazil and was reported missing in extremely rough seas on Monday. The 65-foot yacht's location was some 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn, and 1,200 miles from the nearest safe landfall in South America. The nearest competitors were 200 miles away downwind.

Safebridge Launches SafeYacht

SafeYacht opens up a professional dimension to the training of sport skippers. Safebridge, a Hamburg-based company training international commercial shipping navigators since 2009, with SafeYacht extends its portfolio to recreational boating. SafeYacht is a cross-platform application which uses the e-learning methodology as a unique feature and gives the access to the software of the final device. A new online training enables sailors and motor boat drivers to deal with their navigation systems as thoroughly like professionals on large vessels.

GAC Pindar Returns as Official Logistics Provider for Volvo Ocean Race

Once again, GAC Pindar and GAC companies around the world will be put to the test by the Volvo Ocean Race. The 2017-18 edition will be the second consecutive time that GAC serves as the official logistics provider for the premier offshore round-the-world race, after its successful collaboration in 2014-15. The group’s marine sport and leisure logistics specialist, GAC Pindar, will work closely with GAC offices around the world to provide a wide range of services for the Race which kicks off in Alicante, Spain, on October 22.

Gothenburg Prepares for Volvo Ocean Race Finale

As the port of Gothenburg prepares to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race fleet of racing yachts and their entourage ending their round-the-world challenge next week, there’s one group of Swedes with especially good reason to celebrate the successful conclusion of the race - the management of the GAC Group. Through its sailing logistics specialist company GAC Pindar, the GAC Group with roots in Sweden has been charged with handling the complex logistics demands involved in getting everything delivered to the 11 stopovers at ports in Africa…

Volvo Ocean Race Crash Raises Questions on Standards

The report on the Team Vestas Wind crash occurred on November 29 in the second leg between Cape Town and Abu Dhabi has recommended an overhaul of navigational charting in offshore racing to prevent a similar incident in the future. The findings of the independent report into the crash of Volvo Ocean Race boat on the Indian Ocean reef were based on interviews including with the crew and the Volvo Ocean Race direction. "The crew was not aware of any navigational hazards in its vicinity. He misjudged the depth indicated 40 meters and believed he could safely navigate through the reef "summarizes the report.

Abu Dhabi: Volvo Ocean Race fleet departs for China

Abu Dhabi, one of the most spectacular stopovers, after hosting  Volvo Ocean Race for the second time from December 12, 2014 until January 3, 2015, waved farewell to the Race fleet as they set sail for the third leg to China. They were pursued by Dongfeng Race Team (China) and Team SCA (Sweden), the all-female crew who won the Abu Dhabi in-port race. Officials, business leaders, public figures, residents and tourists gathered at Abu Dhabi Corniche breakwater to bid farewell at the official departure ceremony of the toughest round-the-world sailing event.

Fastest Sailboat on the Planet – 'Vestas Sailrocket 2'

The speed sailing boat smashes the current record in Walvis Bay, off the coast of Namibia. The new world record of 59.23 knots (109kph) set the best average time over 500m and broke the previous mark of 55.65 knots with a peak speed of 63 knots (119kph). Two days later the team improved this speed with a 59.38 knot run which peaked at exactly 120kph (64.78 knots). During the same run the team also smashed the nautical mile world record* with an average of over 55 knots. The ink was barely dry on the first record.