Volvo Ocean Race - Five boats have clocked 30,000 nautical miles

by Volvo Ocean Race on 20 May 2014 Five Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 boats have already covered nearly 30,000 nautical miles in their pre-event preparations giving both teams and event organisers the opportunity to test equipment and crews on land and sea.

The training runs have visited seven ports in the United States, China, Portugal, Spain (Lanzarote) and the United Kingdom so far ahead of the race start in October this year.

'We’re delighted with how our new one-design boat, the Volvo Ocean 65, is shaping up so far with all the crews reporting back to us positively on their progress so far,' said the event’s Race Director Jack Lloyd.

The trips have also put the Volvo Ocean Race’s logistics partner GAC Pindar to the test, assisting all teams with their global transport challenges.

One crew taking full advantage of GAC Pindar’s services is the Chinese entry, Dongfeng Race Team. Their boat is now being shipped to Newark, USA, ahead of the team’s transatlantic crossing in full race mode.

Their containers are currently in the mid-Pacific and expected to arrive in the middle of this month.

Bruno Dubois, Team Director of the Dongfeng Race Team said: 'We are delighted to have the expert support of GAC Pindar in the build-up to and during the Volvo Ocean Race.

'Plans can change at a moment’s notice in the sport of offshore sailing and GAC Pindar has always responded effectively under tight deadlines. We look forward to working with them more closely as the race gets underway.'

Team Alvimedica, meanwhile, are in Lisbon preparing for their transatlantic crossing to Newport, Rhode Island in May. GAC Pindar was tasked with the rapid transportation of two containers to arrive in Portugal ahead of their boat.

Bill Erkelens, Chief Executive Officer of Team Alvimedica, said: 'We left for Lisbon slightly earlier than originally scheduled and needed to ensure our containers arrived ahead of the boat. GAC Pindar ensured that they arrived in the perfect location and ahead of schedule. As a result, we are now able to start preparing our boat for the transatlantic.'

Tom Touber, Chief Operating Officer of the Volvo Ocean Race, said: 'Even though the Race is still some five months away, our logistics partners GAC Pindar are already showing their value to us and the teams in this important pre-event preparation period.

'The Volvo Ocean Race offers a very testing logistics challenge and it is vital to us that we have the right partner to deliver a totally reliable service to keep our nine-month event visiting 11 countries on track. That is why we have gone for experience and have partnered with GAC Pindar.'

GAC Pindar will provide a complete logistics support package for the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, including transportation and customs clearance of pavilions and hospitality infrastructure for the Race Villages as well as broadcast and other support equipment for the ports the Race will visit over the nine months.

The 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race will start from Alicante, Spain on October 4, 2014 with the in-port race there. The teams will cover 38,739 nautical miles before the finish and a final in-port race in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 27, Volvo Ocean Race website