Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 goes to Asia

by ISAF /Sail-World.com on 11 Jan 2007 The Notice of Race for the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race has been published. Eleven ocean legs and eight In Port races are scheduled, with the race beginning on 4 October 2008 with an In Port race in Alicante, Spain, with a slated finish around 20 June 2009 in the Baltic Sea.

The total race distance for the tenth edition of one of the sailing world's grandest events will be approximately 39,000 miles. The scoring system remains the same as the previous race, with each boat receiving points equal to the number of boats starting the race minus those placed above her in each offshore leg. The same formula applies
in the In Port races and at the scoring waypoints, except the number of points is halved.

The crew must consist of seven to eleven members, except for a team including five or more women when the maximum is increased to 12 members, or for an all female crew, for which the maximum crew size is 14.

At least 30% of crew members must be under 30 before the start of the race, unless all the crew are aged 50 or above.

The provisional schedule in the Notice of Race is as follows:

- Leg 1: Alicante, Spain to South Africa, via scoring waypoint at Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, 6,500 nm, start 11 October 2008

- Leg 2: South Africa to the Middle East, via scoring waypoint at 20 degrees south, 5,000 nm, start 16 November 2008

- Leg 3: Middle East to India, 1,600 nm, start 20 December 2008

- Leg 4: India to South East Asia, via scoring waypoint at island of Palau Weh, Indonesia, 2,000 nm, start 3 January 2009

- Leg 5: South East Asia to China (port 1), 2,200 nm, start 24 January 2009

- Leg 6: China (port 1) to China (port 2), 300 nm, start 8 February 2009

- Leg 7: China (port 2) to Brazil, via scoring waypoints at 36 degrees South and Cape Horn, 12,000 nm, start 22 February 2009

- Leg 8: Brazil to the North East USA, via scoring waypoint at Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, 4,800 nm, start 18 April 2009

- Leg 9: North East USA to Western Europe, via scoring waypoint on the longitude of St John, Newfoundland, 2,500 nm, start 16 May 2009

- Leg 10: Western Europe to Sweden, 1,500 nm, start 6 June 2009

- Leg 11: Sweden to Finish. 250 nm on a flexi-course, start 19 June 2009

In Port races will be held in Alicante, Middle East, South East Asia, China (port 2), Brazil, North East USA, Western Europe and Sweden.

To view the Notice of Race: http://volvooceanrace.org/pdf/NoticeofRace_2008_01.pdf

The Volvo Ocean Race is an ISAF Special Event. For more information on the Volvo Ocean Race, the Volvo Open 70 and the teams competing, visit the official Volvo Ocean Race website - http://www.volvooceanrace.org