Kiwi to be new Race Director of Volvo Ocean Race

by PR on 23 Apr 2008 New Zealander Jack Lloyd has joined the Volvo Ocean Race as its new Race Director. Lloyd, 54, was Chairman of the International Jury for the 2005-06 race after serving as a member of the jury for two previous races.

Lloyd, who takes over from Andy Hindley, completes the race management line-up for the 2008-09 race following last month’s appointment of Norwegian Knut Frostad as CEO who took over from Glenn Bourke, who returned to Australia.

Frostad said Lloyd brought vast experience from professional race management. 'He was not only involved in the America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race as an umpire but has also been part of a number of professional sailing teams.'

Lloyd has been an International Umpire since 1993 and an International Judge since 1996. He is an ISAF International Umpire Test Administrator and is Chairman of the Test Administration Group. Lloyd has completed two America’s Cups as an umpire and jury member and has been Rules Advisor to both OneWorld in 2002-03 and Emirates Team New Zealand in the 32nd America’s Cup sailed last year in Valencia.

Frostad said Lloyd’s appointment was part of his goal to raise the level of the race’s sporting platform to strengthen its position as the premier offshore racing event among the sailors.

Volvo Ocean Race 2008 - 09

Starting in Alicante in Spain with an in-port race on 4 October it will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon, which takes in ports in India, Singapore and China before finishing in St Petersburg, Russia for the first time in the history of the race. Spanning some 37,000 nautical miles, stopping at around 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s premier yacht race for professional racing crews.