Another Type of Racing

Anyone interested in Sail Boat Racing?

I went to the start of the Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante, Spain. I was on a charter and got a great view of the start of the race and the rounding of the first bouy before they went out to sea.

The race goes round the world and lasts about 9 months with 8 stops. The longest leg is from China to Brazil. This leg is 35 days strait. The racers usually work 4 hours and sleep 2. This goes on for 9 months. This is definitely the most extreme sporting event in the world today.

I'm going to head up to Boston next May for the stopover B4 they cross the Atlantic and head to Galway











This Spanish Navy Frigate marked the starting point.




We were VERY lucky to get as close as we did! The seas were high and the wind was about 25 knots. It was a stormy start.

Wind power too eco friendly for me The technology )carbon fiber and so) on those boats however...

This boat seems like it has a big advantage:twitch:

SmokinBBC said:

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I'm with BBShark- if these guys get a litle behind, it could get a little rough on the leader. "Put a shot across the Bow..... never mind, just SINK 'em"..

Really. A race like that will let you know how tough you are. Myself, there's too much water out there for a boat that's less than 1000 feet long. And sometimes that's marginal.

TimAT said:

...Myself, there's too much water out there for a boat that's less than 1000 feet long. And sometimes that's marginal.

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My thoughts exactly. My hat's off to the guys that are in it but it's not my scene :amazed: