Volvo Ocean Race - Maersk Line named shipping partner

by Volvo Ocean Race on 15 Apr 2014 The world's largest shipping company, Maersk Line, has been revealed as the Volvo Ocean Race’s shipping partner for the 2014-15 edition starting in October with the challenge of keeping offshore sailing’s toughest global event on track in over 10 countries, four continents and five oceans.

The nine-month Volvo Ocean Race is one of the world’s most testing sporting events on its competitors and it is no less demanding on the team staging it around the world.

'We will be bringing the race to all the continents around the world and are planning to serve up our best ever experience in the stopover race villages to our fans with all kinds of attractions which tell our story,' said Volvo Ocean CEO Knut Frostad.

'That includes shipping equipment to keep the boats maintained and we’ll be showcasing that work as never before in our 40-year history.

'It is critical that the teams and ports plus ourselves and our sponsors can rely on the best possible logistics delivery and who better than Maersk Line to provide that for us. We are delighted to welcome them to our team of world class Race partners.'

Volvo Ocean Race Chief Operations Officer Tom Touber added: 'Maersk Line is a great partner to have on board sharing the same passion for the sea although in a totally different field.

'We are very lucky to have a very professional shipping company to transport the whole race village around the world. It’s a case of setting up a village for almost 1,000 inhabitants if you count all of the race, team and other stakeholder staff.

'And on top of that we host 2.9 million spectators every race. 'We needed a professional company like Maersk Line helping us to get these race villages built in time. The race boats are so fast now it has become a real challenge to get everything ready for them when they arrive.'

Maersk Line were equally delighted to take on the Volvo Ocean Race challenge which they see as a perfect way to demonstrate their global capabilities. They will need to ship some 90 containers containing team, organisation and boat equipment around the world.

'The Volvo Ocean Race is about seamanship, teamwork, overcoming challenges, being innovative and attuned to the environment,' says Maersk Line’s Chief Commercial Officer, Stephen Schueler of Maersk Line’s partnership with the Volvo Ocean Race.

'Maersk Line’s claim: 'Your Promise. Delivered' is based on the insight that we create simple and reliable solutions so our customers can fulfil promises to their customers,' explained Schueler.

'The Volvo Ocean Race has made a promise to deliver a memorable race experience for thousands of fans, sponsors and participants across the world. We are incredibly proud to support them to keep that promise.'

During the Volvo Ocean Race that covers 38,739 nautical miles – equivalent to 44,580 miles or 71,745 kilometres – seven boats will embark on a 10-leg journey across the world’s oceans in a race against time, forces of nature and each other.

The race starts in Alicante, Spain in October 2014 with its grand finale in the port of Gothenburg in Sweden in June 2015. In the last Race in 2011-12, just under three million people visited the stopover race villages to see the boats close up.

Maersk Line, operates more than 500 vessels, employs 30,000 people in 150 countries and has routes reaching ports in all corners of the Volvo Ocean Race