Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2026

Volvo Ocean Race- Bird's eye view for Miss World

by Volvo Ocean race on 6 Feb 2015
Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014, at the top of the Dongfeng Race Team mast in the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Sanya. Sam Greenfield / Volvo Ocean Race
Miss World Rolene Strauss is used to being the focus of the photographer’s lens but on Thursday she turned the camera on herself to capture the most amazing ‘selfie’ (see below) up the 100ft (30.3 metres) mast of a Volvo Ocean Race boat.

The challenge to shimmy up the mast turns many a strong guy into jelly, but the 22-year-old from Volkrust, South Africa, didn’t need asking twice when Race leaders, Dongfeng Race Team, challenged her to do the climb in Sanya, China.

Miss Strauss, who won her title in London last December, was hoisted up the mast – the equivalent height of six giraffes – in a matter of a couple of minutes and took a leisurely view of the harbour before coolly lowering herself down.

'It was beautiful,' she bubbled. 'The scenery is so beautiful and it was lovely being out there on the ocean. I just fell in love with Sanya and with everything. It felt it was like I was on top on the world.

'I drew a big eye (on the mast), looking down on the boat, and then I wrote ‘one world, one strength’. If the crew works together as one they will have more strength and they will prosper in the race.'

Dongfeng and the rest of the fleet, on a nine-month, 38,739-nautical mile offshore marathon race around the world, leave China on Sunday for Auckland in New Zealand for the fourth leg of nine. The race is scheduled to finish in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 27.

Watch the In Port Race coverage live on Sail-World on Saturday and the start coverage on Sunday also on Sail-World.com









Maritimo S SeriesMarkSetBotSouthern Wind

Related Articles

Epigen J/24 Worlds set for Melbourne, Australia
Sandringham Yacht Club is set to welcome an international fleet in November The Epigen J/24 World Championship 2026 will take place at Sandringham Yacht Club in Melbourne, Australia, welcoming an international fleet of competitors to one of sailing's most respected and enduring one-design classes.
Posted on 14 Apr
Aussie Nationals at Airlie Beach
Tilly and Conrad win after three days of high-octane foiling After three days of high-octane foiling in the heart of the Whitsundays, Louis Tilly and Bridget Conrad have been crowned the 2026 WASZP Australian National Champions for the men's and women's divisions respectively.
Posted on 14 Apr
TP52 Australia Building Pathways
As Pallas Capital Gold Cup Gains Momentum The TP52 Australia fleet returned to Sydney Harbour for Act 2 of the Pallas Capital Gold Cup, delivering seven sharp races in a classic Sydney westerly, but beyond the results, it is the strength and direction of the class that continues to stand out.
Posted on 14 Apr
UpWind by MerConcept enters a pivotal season
With 11th Hour Racing's continued support After two years of steady progression, UpWind by MerConcept is entering a defining phase in 2026. At its helm, French skipper Anne-Claire Le Berre, 44, from Brittany, is preparing to take on her most ambitious challenge yet.
Posted on 14 Apr
Thai Fiji Adventure 2026
Short and long course catamaran racing in the Gulf of Thailand The rigged boats, the screaming Gulf of Thailand and the adrenaline on the starting line. This wasn't just a sailing competition; it was an all-out assault on the water. No one was here to play it safe, but to go hard or go down!
Posted on 14 Apr
America's Cup: Kiwis bolster sailing squads
Lena Sanderson and Serena Woodall join Womens and wider America's Cup sailing squad Serena Woodall and Helena (Lena) Sanderson will be central to the team's Women's America's Cup campaign while integrating into the wider sailing squad.
Posted on 14 Apr
Armstrong & SailGP get young sailors foiling
The SailGP Inspire program brought its mission directly directly to local grassroots sailors At the Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix, last weekend, alongside the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team, the SailGP Inspire program brought its mission directly to local grassroots.
Posted on 14 Apr
2026 Sail Port Stephens Commodores Cup Day 1
A puffy 10-15 knot south-westerly breeze set the scene for a sparkling opening day A puffy 10-15 knot south-westerly breeze set the scene for a sparkling opening day of the 2026 Sail Port Stephens Commodores Cup Passage Series.
Posted on 13 Apr
2.4mR 2026 Australian Championship
What a week it was at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. We had all the usual regatta issues – gear failure, preparation shortcomings, last minute changes that were never going to work but you changed it anyway, brain not in gear, missed shifts, or tacking on a shift that turned out to not be a shift...
Posted on 13 Apr
Notice of Race posted for 2026 AEGEAN 600
This now-legendary 605-mile circumnavigation of the Aegean Sea invites all eligible offshore teams Organizers at the Hellenic Ocean Racing Club (HORC) and Olympic Marine have announced the final version of the Notice of Race is now published for this year's edition of the AEGEAN 600 that starts on July 5, 2026.
Posted on 13 Apr