Volvo Ocean Race / Alvimedica for the finish leg !

Team Alvimedica’s skipper Charlie Enright (USA) won the final offshore battle of the Volvo Ocean Race here today, but the overall glory and trophy belonged firmly with his rival from Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Ian Walker (GBR).

Volvo Ocean Race / Team Alvimedica First to Cape Horn, “It’s the Everest of the race" Enright

Team Alvimedica, the youngest crew in the Volvo Ocean Race, rounded the iconic Cape Horn first yesterday just after 1400 UTC and only 15 minutes ahead of Abu Dhabi Racing, in a hotly contested battle at the front of the fleet.

Volvo Ocean Race / “Stu Bannatyne brings incredible experience to us for the tough Southern Ocean leg ahead”

Team Alvimedica has announced the Volvo Ocean Race veteran Stu Bannatyne will step onto the orange and black boat for Leg 5 from Auckland to Itajaí.

Credit : A Sanchez

#VolvoOceanRace / Dongfeng first out of the blocks again

Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) have dominated the Volvo Ocean Race ever since they entered their home waters in Sanya last month, and Sunday marked no change despite four swaps in their crew line-up for Leg 4 to Auckland.

Credit : A Sanchez

#VolvoOceanRace / “Onboard Dongfeng we must stay concentrated" by Charles Caudrelier (Dongfeng)

A thrilling finish looks to be in store for Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race after the chasing pack made big inroads into Dongfeng Race Team’s once huge lead early on Sunday with just over 24 hours to sail to the finish in Sanya.

Credit : S Greenfield

#VolvoOceanRace / Team Alvimedica Wins the In-Port Race in Alicante

Team Alvimedica has taken first blood in the Volvo Ocean Race, after winning today’s In-Port Race in Alicante. Charlie Enright and his crew made a good but unspectacular start that placed them in the top half of the seven-boat fleet while a daring port-tack start by Dongfeng Race Team rewarded the Chinese with an early lead.

Crédit : A Sanchez 

#VolvoOceanRace / Pressure? At least, Mars Bars don’t cost $100 any more

The days of hungry Volvo Ocean Race sailors trading chocolate snack bars at $100 a time are over thanks to the new one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boat.

Credit : A Sanchez | Volvo Ocean Race

While some focused on their watch tactics or other strategies on the eve of the opening Alicante in-port race, skipper Bouwe Bekking (NED/Team Brunel), told a news conference today that he’s looking forward to at least eating properly on the nine-month offshore marathon which kicks off on October 11.

Images / VO65's @TeamAlvimedica by the media crew, Amaury Ross !

#VolvoOceanRace / Chris Nicholson and Vestas won Leg 0 (images)

They entered the race last, but they are ready. Chris Nicholson’s men proved it at dawn this Sunday, winning Leg 0 in Alicante. Sure, it’s only a practice race, and Brunel wasn’t far behind – just 10 seconds and 100 metres in fact. But hats off to Team Vestas Wind - they started their campaign two months ago, and today they took the honours. 

Credit : B.Carlin/Vestas

#VolvoOceanRace / Seven VO65 set off together : "Leg Zero is a really important exercise"

Seven Volvo Ocean Race boats set off together for the two-day Leg Zero on Friday knowing that a series of “crises” loom for all of them – and they have all been planned by the organisers. The fleet will be sailing to Majorca and back from Race headquarters in Alicante and failure to complete the trip will mean they will have to return to do it again or at least complete any unfinished mileage.

Credit : Rick Tomlinson/Team SCA

#VOR / Eight new crew members named by Volvo Ocean Race teams

Eight new crew for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 were today unveiled in separate announcements from Team Alvimedica and the Spanish Team challengers. The Team Alvimedica crew will include Italian Alberto Bolzan, American Nick Dana, Australian Will Oxley plus New Zealanders Ryan Houston and Dave Swete. Another American, Amory Ross, will be the Onboard Reporter.

Credit : B.Black

They will join skipper Charlie Enright and co-founder Mark Towill in their final race crew.

#VolvoOceanRace / Dongfeng, SCA, Abu Dhabi, what are they doing ?

Dongfeng Race Team’s Chinese rookies came face to face in the mid-Atlantic with a whale in a taste of the kind of larger-than-life experience the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 will throw at them. It is time to the new weekly round-up of Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 news and gossip.

Credit : A.Ross/Team Alvimedica