Volvo Ocean Race Team Witnesses Rare Whale Encounter on Stage 4

We've been following the Volvo Ocean Race closely since it first started back in October, and currently the ships are en route to Hong Kong on the 4th stage of the round-the-world race. Currently, the teams are locked in a tight formation with just 12 miles separating them as they pass through the doldrums on the Indian Ocean on their way to the next stage finish. That's a far cry from the difficulties they faced in the Southern Ocean just a few short weeks back.

But perhaps the most interesting and exciting news isn't about the competition at all – at least not directly. A few days back, Team Vestas 11 Hour Racing had quite an encounter at sea, and they managed to capture it on the video you'll find below.

The clip was shot by Amory Ross, a reporter who is currently embedded with the crew. Using a drone, he was able to capture footage of a whale feeding frenzy just off the coast of the Solomon Islands. The sight is so rare, that whale researchers have already contacted Vestas to see if they can study the footage for future research. If you look closely, you'll even be able to spot sharks in the water too.

This is a good reminder that while the VOR is a competition that spans the globe, the teams also have some amazing encounters along the way. To check out this rare site, watch the video below.

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Stage 4 of Volvo Ocean Race Underway

We've been following the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race closely since it got underway this past October and watched with particular interest as the race took to the Southern Ocean for the third leg, which ran for 6500 nautical miles (7480 miles/12,038 km) between Cape Town and Melbourne. Now, the fourth leg of the race is underway, and it promises to be a major challenge as well.

The third leg of the race was won by Team Mapfre, who were the first to arrive in Melbourne back on December 24. Second place went to Dongfeng Race Team, who has been edged out in the last two legs, narrowly finishing behind the leaders. These two are now expected to battle for the lead once again as the race turns north away from Australia.

The fourth leg of this year's VOR runs from Melbourne to Hong Kong, marking the first time that the race has visited that city. This stage covers 5600 nautical miles (6444 miles/10,371 km) and while it won't be quite as difficult as the long chase across the Southern Ocean, it will still test the stamina and skill of the teams aboard these round-the-world racing vessels. This time out, they'll have to navigate around a number of islands that sit in their path and they'll have to look for a route that safely passes through potential storms and other fast changing weather conditions.

Just a day into the restart of the race and the teams are already taking very different tactics as they make their way north. Some of the ships are staying closer to the Australian coastline, while others are heading further out to see. Which tactic proves the smartest has yet to be seen as it is early into the stage and the crews aren't expected into Hong Kong until sometime around the middle of the month.

All told, there will be 11 total stages in this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, which is scheduled to end at The Hague next June. Other stages will take the ships to Auckland, New Zealand; Itajaí, Brazil, and Newport, Connecticut in the U.S. There is more racing to come in the Southern Ocean as well, with the seventh stage requiring the teams to race round Cape Horn in what promises to be an epic showdown.

Until then, the teams will bounce around the Indian and Pacific Oceans for a bit, providing plenty of drama in the weeks ahead. You can follow all the action at volvooceanrace.com.

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Southern Ocean Leaves Volvo Ocean Race Team in Tatters

A few days back I posted a story about the start of the third leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. At the time, I mentioned that the seven crews involved in the round-the-world competition were now heading into the difficult and unpredictable Southern Ocean. Lest anyone think that those warnings were nothing but over blown hyperbole, the ships quickly ran into foul weather which was enough to break the mast and nearly capsize one of the vessels.

After setting out from Cape Town under a strong breeze, the teams found themselves with calm weather for the start of their adventure across the Southern Ocean. But, as expected, those conditions didn't last long and within a day or two a high pressure storm system began to build. That system bore down on the ships as they make their way deeper south en route to their eventual destination in Melbourne, Australia.

This massive low-pressure system is massive in scale, stretching for 1500 nautical miles (1726 miles/2778 km) from the tip of Africa nearly all the way to Antarctica itself. It brings with it intense winds of about 35 knots (40 mph/64 km/h) with gusts exceeding 50 knots (57 mph/92 km/h) at times. As you can imagine, that has made for some difficult conditions with heavy seas creating massive waves.

One of the teams in particular has felt the sting of the Southern Ocean. Team AkzoNobel of the Netherlands was forced to slow down and make repairs after high winds caused the track that attaches the mainsail to the back of the mast to break. At the moment they are still assessing their options while continuing to race using the forward sails only. As you can probably imagine, this means they are limping along and losing ground to the top teams. It also forced them to turn away from their intended course along the Antarctic Ice Exclusion Zone, a section of the course that is off limits do to ice. Teams are skirting the edge of the AIEZ as it makes for the shortest route, even if they are flirting with danger.


The damage occurred when the ship was gybing along in high winds and big seas. The crew made the switch from starboard to port on the mainsail when the track broke in two places, nearly causing the ship to capsize. The team was able to lower the sail quickly to avoid further damage, and no crew members were injured, but AkzoNobel is certainly losing time as they work out a solution. To help with that process they are heading north for calmer seas and warmer temperatures, which can help with repairs, but they have already given up 300 miles (482 km) to the front runners.

Another team has their own scare while in the Southern Ocean. Team Turn the Tide on Plastic, racing under the United Nations flag, had their man overboard alarm go off in the middle of the night. A frantic search began, but fortunately all members of the crew were accounted for and the ship was able to continue on course.

The teams are just getting started with the Southern Ocean. They will continue racing towards Melbourne with an estimated arrival around December 27. A lot can happen between now and then, and this massive storm isn't finished yet. You can follow all of the action on the Volvo Ocean Race website.

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Volvo Ocean Race Resumes as Teams Head to Southern Ocean

Stage 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race got underway yesterday from Cape Town, South Africa as the teams head into the Southern Ocean for the first time. This next leg of the race promises to be a challenging one, as strong winds appeared just prior to the restart.

The seven ships taking part in this year's edition of the round-the-world sailing event departed Cape Town and are now under sail for Melbourne, Australia. This stage of the race will cover approximately 6500 nautical miles (7480 miles/12,038 km) and will include a trip round the infamous Cape of Good Hope before the crews take a hard left turn and plunge south to the Souther Ocean. The route will take them through the Westerly Storm Track, a section of water that is notorious for its bad weather, before heading north once again to cross the Great Australian Bight and the Bass Strait on their way into Melbourne. They are expected to arrive there sometime around December 27.

On Saturday, just prior to the teams setting out on Stage 3, the "Cape Doctor" arrived in South Africa. This strong southeasterly wind brought sustained 40 knot (46 mph/74 km/h) winds with gusts up to 60 knots (69 mph/111 km/h). By Sunday, those winds had died down some but were still hitting 25-35 knots. That made for a blistering start with the ships finding plenty of breeze to help push them along. A high pressure front arrived today however to provide a bit of calm before facing the challenges that await.

The wild Southern Ocean will now test the crews. Known for its big waves, terrible storms, and high winds, this body of water surrounds Antarctica but has no other land masses to impede the progress of its winds and weather. That leads to some absolutely massive storms at times and cold, biting Antarctic winds are the norm. This will certainly not be a pleasure cruise for the members of each of the teams as they battle to be the fastest team to arrive in Melbourne.

You can follow all of the action and get regular updates on the Volvo Ocean Race website. The team there does a great job of not only providing plenty of news and insights into the race, but offering video and photos too.

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Team Mapfre Leads Volvo Ocean Race at End of Stage 2

The second stage of the Volvo Ocean Race came to an end this past weekend with the teams arriving in Cape Town, South Africa. It was a wild and challenging run from Lisbon to Cape Town, covering some 7000 natural miles en route. In the end, it was Team Mapfre that arrived first, and now holds a narrow lead over its rivals prior to the start of the third stage on December 10.

Haling from Spain, Team Mapfre now has an elapsed time of 19 days, 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 33 seconds. That's enough to hold off second place team Dongfeng, which is currently less than three hours off the pace. American crew Vestas 11th Hour now holds down the third spot, an additional hour and a half back.

Those may seem like large time gaps, but for a race that is measured in days and weeks, they aren't very big at all. Particularly considering that there are still 9 more legs to be run before the race finishes in The Hague next June. Between now and then, there is a lot of racing to be done, including a number of routes that cross through the treacherous Southern Ocean, which will surely test the skill and resolve of the teams involved.

At the moment, all of the ships are currently docked Cape Town, where a number of short, in-port races are taking place. Those competitions, along with a number of other festivities, will continue to take place for the next week and a half, before the third leg gets underway. That route will take the ships round the Cape and will cover 6500 nautical miles, stretching from South Africa to Melbourne, Australia. In the meantime, the crews continue to train and prepare, while the captains talk strategy.

To get a sense of what a stage of the Volvo Ocean Race is like, check out the video below. If you didn't think sailing could be exciting, this will probably change your mind.

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American Team Takes Lead in Volvo Ocean Race

The first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race ended this past weekend in Lisbon, Portugal, with the American team of Vestas 11th Hour Racing arriving first at the finish line. The crew completed the 1650 nautical mile course in 6 days, 2 hours, and 8 minutes, which was enough to put them ahead of second place team MAPFRE of Spain by more than two and a half hours, and earned them 8 points towards the eventual win when the race wraps up in The Hague next June.

This first leg of the event ran from Alicante, Spain – where the VOR began back on October 22 – to Lisbon, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar en route. The route took them round the island of Porto Santo and a virtual waypoint located at sea that race directors added to the course midway through the leg.

Over the past few days, all seven teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race have enjoyed some time in port in Lisbon as they prepare for the next leg of the event. This stage will be far more grueling then the one, running for more than 7000 nautical miles from Lisbon to Cape Town, South Africa.

Vestas 11th Hour Racing is captained by American skippers Charlie Enright and Mark Towill, who bring years of sailing experience to the team. They also have a tough and dedicated crew made up of sailors from the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, and Australia. The team did well in the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race, and has returned this year to improve on their ranking, while also promoting a message of sustainability and protecting the environment as well.

While the victory in the first stage of the race is a good one, this grueling event is only now really getting underway. The first leg was a good shakedown cruise and a solid way to test the boats and crew. But, there are some major stages yet to come, including quite a bit of sailing in the difficult and treacherous Southern Ocean. This should be quite an event to follow in the weeks ahead.

Check out all of the action at volovooceanrace.com.

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Video: The ABC's of Sailing

The Volvo Ocean Race got underway this past weekend, and even now the seven teams that are taking part in the race are en route to their first destination. If you've ever wondered what it is like to sail on such a high level, have a look at this video, which gives us a few things we should all know about the sport, which is far more demanding than most understand. These are amazing athletes working together in precision form, which allows them to go incredibly fast across the water. Check it out below.

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The Prologue for the Volvo Ocean Race is Underway

In a couple of weeks, the biggest and toughest sailing race in the world will get underway in Alicante, Spain. That's where the Volvo Ocean Race is scheduled to begin on October 22, with seven teams setting out on a 40,000 nautical mile, 11-leg journey that will visit six continents and cross three oceans in the process.

Currently, the teams are preparing for the grueling event, which will take upwards of eight months to complete. But before they can set sail on their globe-spanning adventure, they first need to get their ships to the starting line in Spain. That process is known as the Prologue, and while it is a non-scoring leg of the race, it is an important one none the less.

Yesterday, the Prologue was set to get underway near Lisbon, Portugal, but unfortunately there was practically no winds to assist them out of the shipyards there. So, instead the start of the leg was moved to Gibraltar, where the ships made their way under power before raising their sails.

Once at the new position, they discovered a light wind that could help them truly begin the Prologue, with all seven ships now en route to Alicante. This gives them a few days to shake down the boat and work out the last of the kinks before truly embarking on the voyage. This leg will cover 680 nautical miles, with higher winds expected across the Mediterranean.

Upon arriving in Alicante, the teams will have a few days to wrap up their final preparation before the In-Port race begins on Saturday, October 14. After that, the countdown will begin for the actual start of the race eight days later.

When it comes to grueling events designed to test the endurance of the athletes taking part, the Volvo Ocean Race ranks near the tip. This year's course will be particularly challenging, as the teams will spend more time in the treacherous Southern Ocean. That won't be easy, particularly as the days and weeks grind on.

As always, it should be interesting to follow the race as it unfolds. Find out more at volvooceanrace.com.

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