Volvo Ocean Race Yachts Take Off For 2008
Topics: yachting, yachts, volvo, Lanzarote, holidays, vacations, boats
The 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race begins this fall in Spain, with participants voyaging throughout the world and testing their skill against the most challenging conditions in sailing.
Formerly known as the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Ocean Race is now sponsored by Volvo, which has organized the event since they took over the 2001-2002 race. Upon Volvo’s involvement, three additional stopovers were added to the race in Sweden, France and Germany. Not surprisingly, these are Volvo’s three biggest markets for car purchases in Europe. Additional changes in the point system were made to ensure that the race maintained a level of competitiveness throughout all legs.
Traditionally the Volvo Ocean Race has departed from a location in Europe some time in September. This year, however, the planned departure date is October 11, 2008. The port of Alicante, Spain, begins the first offshore leg on that date.
That is one of two major changes that have occurred for the upcoming race. The yachts had always departed from somewhere in the United Kingdom up until the last race, which was the first to begin the race from elsewhere in Europe. Secondly, a new yacht design was introduced. The Volvo 70 is a lighter boat design with more sail area.
Until the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race, the event had traditionally been scheduled every four years. This year’s race will begin after a break of only three years. The route has changed many times and in various ways since the beginning of the race over thirty years ago. Beginning in Spain, the customary path heads south through the Atlantic, down around the southern tip of Africa, around the Southern ocean and back to England. Brand new additions will be a stopover in India at the major port of Kochi, and, also for the first time in Asia, at a port in Singapore where the second in-port event will be held. The race route will include one stop in North America in Boston, Massachusetts. The race will finish off in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Despite the many changes, a central objective remains at the heart of this and other sailing competitions: a matchless adventure and an exercise in sailing skill against the odds of nature. Several sailing teams are presently enrolled and more are expected to sign up.
Ericsson Racing Team, which has two yachts enlisted as challengers in the Volvo Ocean Race, has transported their boats and sailing crew to the Canary Islands. The crew is training at the base of Puerto Calero, on the island of Lanzarote, wintering in the ideal sailing conditions offered by the port.
Northernmost of the seven main islands of the Canary’s archipelago, Lanzarote maintains relatively constant temperatures and sees low annual rainfall. Few days are lost to weather-related problems due to this environment, which offers the premium atmosphere for technical improvements and beneficial training. In addition to these benefits, the winds are good and steady in the Canary Islands due to the north-east trade winds, which also bring cooler air in the summers to Lanzarote.
Atmospheric benefits are not the only plusses of Puerto Calero for the sailing crews. Lanzarote’s marina boasts the provision of most needed accommodations for sailing and the crews within a five- minute walk.
Like Volvo’s addition of certain ports within their sales arena, Ericsson’s presence in the race is similar, to improve sales and reach customers around the world. Ericsson is a communications company based in Sweden, providing technology and support for a variety of telecommunication and data communication systems. New stops added along the route will allow these and all involved companies to expand their customer bases in the Middle East, China and India.
More details about Lanzarote can be found at www.yourlanzarote.net
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Stansted Airport; Forget London, Tour Uttlesford (1)
The use of a car hire service will allow you to experience all this unique region of England has to offer. Be sure to sample the small town life, this rural existence is hard to find anywhere else in Britain and is a must for tourists.
Tips To Get Cheap Airline Tickets (2)
That leaves the onus on the consumer to shop around and use all the resources available to find the best airfare deals. A whole world of information about cheap airline tickets awaits you from Mike Selvon portal at airplane.niche-educator.com.
Take A Tour Of England; Packed With History And Scenery (3)
As an island nation, England has many miles of distinct coastline. The white cliffs at Dover are of course well known but there are many gems dotted away in coves and bays.
Avoiding Injuries - Snowboard Safety For Beginners (4)
Make sure all your equipment is in good condition and keep checking it. Resist the urge to show off. It can end badly. Do not give up on your first day, keep on persevering and you will do well.
Tips When Choosing Your Cabin On The Cruise Ships (5)
Along with the diagrams of the interiors floor plans of the ship, there are usually listings of the different categories of cabins. On very large ships there can be as many as 20 cabin categories, which often makes it very confusing, especially for first-time travelers.
Visiting Kissimmee In Style With A Florida Vacation Home (6)
Kissimmee is located just south of Orlando and is only an hour from the Atlantic Ocean making it a great spot for a beach vacation as well. Kissimmee has long been a convenient location for vacations and has become one of Florida's fastest growing cities.
Southampton Airport; Small But Popular (7)
Naturally it contains the usual accompanying businesses such as restaurants, hotels and car hire companies which provide jobs for the local community. Despite being a small airport, Southampton welcomed nearly two million passengers during 2005.
How To Find The Right Ski Resort For Your Little Ones (8)
All of these are important before you even think about leaving for a holiday. Anna Stenning loves her ski holidays and equally appreciates going with her family. For more information on activity holidays visit www.alpineelements.co.uk
How Sabre Training Changed The Face Of Air Travelling (9)
By 1960, the first experimental system came online based on two IBM 7090 mainframes. By 1964, Sabre had taken over all of the bookings and in 1976 the system was expanded to travel agents.
The London Airports; Expansion Definite (10)
Ultimately the concerns of residents are not important to planners, more and more the English countryside will be cut up for tarmac runways. This however is the price of progress and without it the aviation industry in Britain will be left behind.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
A Mountain Bikers Haven And Skiers Rush (1)
Available at the resort are guides, charging approximately 25 pounds per day, who at hand for those new to off-road bikes. Like the ski runs, there tailor-made tracks suitable for people of all ages and levels from beginner to extreme expert biker.
Teatro Dell'Opera In Rome (2)
Hotels for the most part are not cheap in Rome and you should be weary of anything that looks too good to be true it probably is. You should expect to pay around 80 Euros per night for a 2 star hotel.
The Cultural Melting Pot Of Switzerland; Perfect For A Hire Car Tour (3)
The French regions are famed for their cheese dishes such as fondue, in which cheese is melted and other items of food are dipped into the melting pot. The German region's cuisine is meat focussed with a lot of potatoes and bread.
Spanish Properties - The Talk Of The Town (4)
Transportation links are easily accessible for travels into the main city centres. Anna Stenning is interested in Costa Blanca Villas and how affordable the property market is within this region of Spain.
Choosing A Toddler's Backpack (5)
Secondly it is important that you cannot fit too much in their back pack. There will be days when your toddler will want to take their entire car or doll collection out with them, if the back pack is fairly small then they will realize that not everything will fit into it - and hence will learn to limit their park toys.
Maui Hawaii The Best Place For Travelers (6)
So much so that you will find time falling short to fully experience this place. You can start with relaxing on the warm beaches getting sunbath in the morning and then jumping into the waters to get a glimpse of its marine life.
Rehoboth Beach Oceanfront Hotels (7)
That is among one of the reasons town often bills itself as "The Nation's Summer Capital" due to the fact that it is a frequent summer vacation destination for Washington, D.C., residents as well as visitors from New Jersey, Maryland, and in lesser numbers, New York.
Cruise Travel Insurance - A Need To Cover Your Vacation (8)
When you have put your money, your hopes and your dreams into your cruise vacation, be sure that you protect that travel investment by getting good cruise travel insurance. Spend some focused, quality time in researching your options and always read the fine print before making a final decision about coverage.
Philadelphia The New Athens Of The World (9)
The city provides a unique nightlife to all and that definitely means that you can take a ballet in the nation's oldest grand opera house as well as knock back a Pabst and a shot of swill for three bucks.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts Its Calling (10)
Topics: Cape Cod, Massachusetts, holiday destination Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Massachusetts hotels In his book The Outermost House, Henry Beston cited carefully, "East of America, there stands in the open Atlantic the last fragment of an ancient and vanished land.