ssc_marcomms posted on December 30, 2008 00:45
Unsung Heroes of the Volvo Ocean Race
With a slogan “Life at the Extreme” and a competition spanning across oceans among fiercely competitive teams, it is no wonder the Volvo Ocean Race has drawn the attention of millions worldwide. This is the first time the race includes a route through Asia, as well as a first for Singapore, as a stopover.
The race is currently on its third leg and has seen one of the closest fights for the lead, with four teams, Telefornica Blue, Team Puma Ocean Racing, Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 all docking within 20 minutes of each other. Ericsson 4 commands the lead for the overall standings, with the winners of the third leg Telefornica Blue coming in second, and Team Puma Ocean Racing coming in third.
While the onboard crew members take a two week hiatus from the competition, it’s a non-stop work period of another group of people. These unsung heroes of the competition are the members of the onshore crew. They are the ones who are in-charge of taking the boat apart and checking and repairing any damages attained. Team Puma’s onshore crew starts work at 7am and ends at 8pm daily, preparing the boats for the next leg of the competition.
Part of the preparation process, is the designing of the sails and Team Puma’s is rather unique. Tom Gall, Team Puma’s sail maker, explains,” The brand is very design driven and there is a lot more work involved but it is worth it in the end.”
The next leg of the competition will be in Qingdao, China and problems are anticipated. For Team Puma, Paul believes, “It’s going to be quite hard in Qingdao and it’s a trip to the unknown. When we set up in Qingdao, we will have to add heaters otherwise everything will freeze.”
With an estimated temperature of -11 degrees Celsius in Qingdao, it appears a very cool reception awaits the teams. They will embark on their journey on the 18th of January 2009, so be sure to watch out for them.