Volvo Ocean Race - Puma Ocean Racing new MCM Amory Ross

by Lisa Ramsperger on 13 Oct 2011 The Puma Ocean Racing powered by BERG Propulsion team has appointed Amory Ross as the new Media Crew Member (MCM) onboard Puma’s Mar Mostro for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012.

Ross, 27, is based in Newport, Rhode Island, where he specializes in nautical photography, video and multi-media. He has logged offshore racing miles as both a crew member and onboard media specialist. Recently, he sailed on the 65-foot Vanquish as a member of the All-American Offshore Team during the Transatlantic Race 2011 and the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race (third place).

'Amory is passionate about what he does, and it is evident the MCM role is a perfect fit for him,' skipper Ken Read said. 'It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm he has for being part of the PUMA team, for the Volvo Ocean Race and also for capturing incredible content. We’re just beginning to witness his depth of talent and creativity, and we look forward to having him onboard during these next nine months and to watching everything he produces. I always tell him that his full-time job is to make us look good – which is certainly almost impossible and will really test his creative ability!'

Ross was a member of the Hobart College sailing team, winning the 2005 national championship. In his last year of college, he began taking photos and later expanded into video, blogs and other multi-media channels. During the past three years, he has split his time between Newport and Jackson, Wyoming, where he has worked as a ski instructor and expanded his portfolio.

'It's definitely a ‘life's dream’ kind of situation for me,' Ross said. 'Ever since the Volvo Ocean Race added the onboard media crew member position I knew it's what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be. Everything I have been practicing the last few years, the video and the big boat sailing, it has been done to make sure I have all of the necessary skill sets to take this kind of a job on and do it the right way. It's an incredibly exciting opportunity – to combine my love and passion for sailing with my professional talents, and to do it for a company as exciting as PUMA. I get to sail around the world on a cutting-edge boat with the sport’s most experienced sailors. It's never going to be easy, but I am really looking forward to the challenge.'

Ross replaces Arden Oksanen in the MCM role on the PUMA team. 'Arden transitioned easily and adeptly from life in the mountains to living on the ocean with us. He’s a great guy whom we all enjoyed working with, and he was truly committed to the team. Recently, a decision was made to try a different angle with the images coming off the boat.' Read said. 'It’s never easy to make changes on a team, but we are moving ahead and looking forward to Race Start in less than a month with Amory on board in the MCM role.'

During the nine months of the Volvo Ocean Race, the MCM captures all of the action. Ross will be filming, photographing, writing, editing, directing and managing satellite news feeds while at sea, broadcasting it via the latest technology around the world. His content will regularly appear on television news feeds, as well as on the PUMA sailing www.puma.com/sailing, website, and social media platforms (Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter).

As stipulated by the Volvo Ocean Race regulations, MCMs aboard the Volvo Open 70s are not permitted to assist in sailing. However, in addition to his media responsibilities, Ross will assist in a variety of duties onboard, including food preparation.

The Puma Ocean Racing team is once again under the leadership of Read (Newport, Rhode Island, United States). Collectively, the crew has won the Around the World Race six times. The core includes: Tom Addis, Navigator (Sydney, Australia); Ryan Godfrey, Pitman (Adelaide, Australia); Kelvin Harrap, Helmsman, Inshore Tactician (Napier, New Zealand); Brad Jackson, Design Coordinator and Watch Captain (Auckland, New Zealand); Rome Kirby, Trimmer and Driver (Newport, Rhode Island, USA); Michael 'Michi' Müller, Bowman (Kiel, Germany); Tony Mutter, Aerodynamics Coordinator and Watch Captain (Auckland, New Zealand); Casey Smith, Systems Manager and Bowman (Brisbane, Australia); Jonathan 'Jono' Swain, Helmsman and Trimmer (Durban, South Africa); Amory Ross, Media Crew Member (Newport, Rhode Island, USA); Kimo Worthington, General Manager (Portsmouth, Rhode Island, United States); and Tim Hacket, Shore Team Manager (Sydney, Australia). Puma Sailing website