Given Mexico’s lack of pedigree in competitive sailing, Carlin’s corrected time win in the 1973-74 race aboard the Swan 65 Sayula II was a somewhat unexpected one, which confounded sailing pundits at the time.

1973-74 Whitbread Round the World Race winning skipper of Sayula II, Ramon Carlin from Mexico and Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad. (Credit: IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race)

Competing against primarily European teams, Carlin and his crew of family, friends and a smattering of professional sailors, dominated the race on handicap.

They followed up a second place in the first leg from Portsmouth to Cape Town with a comprehensive win in the stormy next leg to Sydney.

On the way to Australia, Sayula II was capsized by 40-knot winds and huge seas, which swept most of the crew overboard on their safety tethers and filled the boat with water.

Despite this calamity, the injuries sustained by the crew and the damage to the boat were both minimal and Sayula II was able to continue and ultimately claim a well deserved leg victory.

A second place in the penultimate leg to Rio de Janeiro and a fourth in the final passage back to Portsmouth sealed Sayula II’s overall corrected time victory.

1973/4 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race: 'Sayula II' skippered by Ramon Carlin - Barry Pickthall / PPL

During his first day in the Alicante race village Carlin took a keen interest in the fleet of Volvo Open 70s and visited the state-of-the-art Race Control room within race headquarters.

The Legend skipper also had an emotional reunion with many members of his race winning crew, most of whom he had not seen since the finish of the race in 1974.

Ramon said “It is wonderful to be in Alicante and to see how far this race has come since we first set out on our round the world adventure all those years ago. To have the chance to see the new and old boats all together is remarkable and to see my crew again is very special.”

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 | Leg 5 | Leg 6 | Leg 7 | Leg 8 | Leg 9
The Resume of the race 2011-2012

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

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Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com
Museo Volvo Ocean Race, Alicante: museovolvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland
6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

“Twenty-five years ago, I gathered together a team of 10 amazing sailors who built a campaign like no one had ever done before,”

says the veteran skipper who was 29 years old when he realised his dream of entering the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1985-86.

“Winning was our wildest dream and to achieve it we prepared carefully, trained hard and optimised the boat to the limits of possibility. It was all this preparation combined with the talent of our crew that allow us to be – so far – the only French team to win this race around the world.

“I am very pleased to reunite with this same crew, the heart of L’Esprit d’Equipe, and we are proud to support the start of the Volvo Ocean Race alongside the other crews who have created the legend of Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race. We will be there too, to support Groupama 4, France’s entry this time,” he adds.

Back in 1985, the French sailor had chosen a boat built for the previous race. The former 33 Export was a lightweight Briand design that had shown great promise until losing her mast in the Southern Ocean. Péan asked the designer to update the alloy yacht and, after spending three months in a shipyard, she re-emerged as L’Esprit d’Equipe, meaning ‘team spirit’.

By the time of the Fastnet Race, held a month ahead of the Whitbread, Péan and his crew were ready. They finished second among the Whitbread contenders, behind the 80’ maxi Atlantic Privateer.

L’Esprit d’Equipe arrived in Cape Town at the finish of the first leg with nothing more than flaked paintwork to take an 11-hour lead over nearest rival, the Dutch yacht Philips Innovator. On leg two she was becalmed for two days on the approach to Auckland, which allowed Philips Innovator to take the advantage. But, during the New Zealand stopover, the crew noticed the mast was bent. A sleeve was bolted to secure the damage and Péan set off again into the Southern Ocean.

Eleven days out into the ice-strewn South Atlantic, Péan reported to race control that the mast had split in two places below deck while surfing towards Cape Horn. More sleeves were constructed by the crew but they didn’t hold back and much to Equity and Law’s consternation, they continued to push the boat as hard as they could. By the time they reached the Uruguayan stopover, L’Esprit d’Equipe had recaptured the lead and had a five hour advantage. Equipped with a new section of mast, Péan and his crew sailed the perfect final leg to claim the winner’s position.

L’Esprit d’Equipe will be joined at the Volvo Ocean Race Legends by some of the most interesting and famous boats ever to race around the world. Original crew from over 60 boats which have competed in the past 10 races are planning their journeys to Spain, but by plane and not by boat, in order to reminisce about past victories and meet up with old friends.

About L’Esprit d’Equipe

• Rig: Sloop
• Designer: Philippe Briand
• LOA 58’ (17.6m)
• Crew: 8-9
• Finished: WINNER
• Elapsed time: 132.00
• Skipper:  Lionel Péan

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 | Leg 5 | Leg 6 | Leg 7 | Leg 8 | Leg 9
The Resume of the race 2011-2012

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com
Museo Volvo Ocean Race, Alicante: museovolvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland
6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race skipper Pierre Fehlmann | Barry Pickthall/PPL

Swiss sailor Pierre Fehlmann, the only person to skipper an entry in five Whitbread Round the World Races, has joined Lady Pippa Blake, Sir Chay Blyth, Tracy Edwards, Skip Novak and Magnus Olsson as an ambassador to the Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta and Reunion which takes place November 1-5 in Alicante, Spain.

A co-founder of the Swiss Ocean Racing Club, Fehlmann took a line honours victory in the 1985-86 race aboard the maxi UBS Switzerland, completing the 26,000 nautical mile course in 117 days and four hours. In each of his five Whitbread Round the World Races Fehlmann’s crews were made up entirely of Swiss nationals.

He established the Swiss shipyard Decision SA in order to build UBS Switzerland, the first maxi yacht to be built in composite in the country and the fruition of knowledge gained during his two previous races.

After pulling off a brilliant tactical move on the first leg of the 1985-86 race which resulted in UBS Switzerland finishing 16 hours ahead of the fleet in Cape Town, Fehlmann explained:

“We based our strategy on a computer study of the weather patterns for the past four years.”

Fehlmann and his crew also won the third leg, turning in a barnstorming performance to break the race record by two days and 16 hours. An entry from their log then read: ‘We are crazy. Eighteen to 20 knots with flanker, close to broaching, just under the boat’s safety limit. But we don’t know what the safety limit is’.

Now, as the fleet in the 2011-12 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race prepares to tackle the world’s oceans once again, Fehlmann will join many of his friends and former competitors in what will be the biggest ever gathering of former Whitbread sailors, at the Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta and Reunion in Alicante, Spain.

A celebration of the legacy of the world’s premiere ocean race, the event includes racing and social events as well as plenty of time for renewing old sailing rivalries and dusting off precious memories of exploits in previous races around the world.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 | Leg 5 | Leg 6 | Leg 7 | Leg 8 | Leg 9
The Resume of the race 2011-2012

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com
Museo Volvo Ocean Race, Alicante: museovolvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland
6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Sparkman and Stevens designed Swan 55 Tauranga took part in the very first edition of the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973-74, completing the 27,000 nautical mile course in 185 days and finishing in 10th place overall.

Tauranga and the other vintage yachts making their way to Alicante from all over the world represent a bygone era of ocean racing and their design and construction contrast starkly with the high tech Volvo Open 70s used in the modern day Volvo Ocean Race.

Italy’s Tauranga (renamed Gandalf) confirms entry in Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta. | Photo James Robinson Taylor

During the two-day regatta in Alicante Tauranga will line up against yachts from the first 10 round the world races including the late Sir Peter Blake’s 1989-90 race winner, Steinlager 2 and 1973-74 Whitbread Race competitors, Great Britain II, Copernicus and Adventure/Dasher.

As a keen sailor, Tauranga’s current owner Michele Bruno is looking forward to his yacht being a part of the Legends Regatta and hopes to have Tauranga’s original race skipper Erik Pascoli as part of his crew.

“Owning this boat is like being the custodian of a piece of history. In the process of successfully completing the first Whitbread Round the World Race, Tauranga became the first ever Italian yacht to round Cape Horn in a race, a milestone made more unique in those days by the fact that her crew included a woman, Zara Pascoli.

“Tauranga comes from a different epoch, a different world, and part of that world was the ability to dream and to pursue dreams. Other than the amazing experience and the fun we hope to have, this is the kind of spirit we hope to contribute to Alicante. Being there will probably be a dream come true for one of our crew members, Cristian Tarasco. Cristian is a paraplegic sailor competing internationally in the 2.4 metre class and currently ranking second in the Italian International Association for Disabled Sailing. Cristian is a great guy and I’m very proud of having him on board.”

Aside from the opportunity for these spectacular ocean-going yachts to compete against each other once more, the Legends Regatta will also offer previous Whitbread Race competitors the chance to get together, renew old friendships and reminisce about their round the world race exploits.

Mexico’s Ramon Carlin is particularly looking forward to being reunited with his 1973-74 race-winning crew from Sayula II – many of whom have not seen each other since Prince Philip presented them with the winner’s trophy in London in the spring of 1974.

Now in his eighties, Mr Carlin is also hoping to meet with Cornelis van Rietschoten, the owner and skipper of two Whitbread Race winning yachts Flyer (1977) and Flyer 2 (1981). Rietschoten himself is planning his own Alicante reunion with many of the former Flyer crew.

The Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta and Reunion will take place in Alicante, Spain from November 1-5, 2011, between the first In-Port Race and the Leg 1 start.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 | Leg 5 | Leg 6 | Leg 7 | Leg 8 | Leg 9
The Resume of the race 2011-2012

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com
Museo Volvo Ocean Race, Alicante: museovolvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland
6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

On September 8, 1973, Sir Chay was behind the wheel of the 77ft Great Britain II, one of the 17 yachts sailing out of Portsmouth and into the unknown as the inaugural Whitbread Round the World Race began.

1981-82 Whitbread Round the World Race: Chay Blyth on Great Britain II | Barry Pickthall/PPL

A yacht race that promised to be like no other, the Whitbread represented the ultimate in human endeavour – a challenge to take on the world’s oceans and win.

Sir Chay Blyth, CBE, BEM, takes his place as Ambassador to the Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta. | © Derek Lunn

Thirty-eight years on, the name has changed but the challenge has not – the thrills, danger and determination to succeed against the odds are as present as ever.

“The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the toughest challenges out there,” Sir Chay, 71, said. “It is a great athletic race, it’s just tremendous.

“It really is at the top of the tree in terms of racing round the world.

“The risks they take are huge and there’s very little leeway for mistakes. It’s unreal how hard these guys push themselves and their boats. They take it to the absolute limit.”

No stranger to extraordinary challenges, In 1966 Sir Chay became the first person to row across the Atlantic, then in 1971 he became the first to sail round the world solo non-stop in a westerly direction.

In 1973 the Scottish adventurer further cemented his place in history books setting the record for the fastest ever circumnavigation of the globe in the first edition of the Whitbread.

1977/8 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race: 'Flyer' skippered by Cornelis van Rietschoten | Tom Luitweiler/PPL

From its humble beginnings, dreamt up in a pub in Portsmouth in 1971, the race captured hearts and minds around the world and soon became the most coveted prize in sailing.

1973/4 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race: 'Sayula II' skippered by Ramon Carlin | Barry Pickthall / PPL

Since its birth 38 years ago the race has evolved into the pinnacle of extreme challenges, boasting the world’s best sailors racing cutting-edge yachts around the world at blistering speeds.

Rothmans deck plunges through a wave during the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race | Rick Tomlinson

The 2011-12 edition of the race will see the teams go head to head over nine legs through the world’s oceans in state-of-the-art Volvo Open 70 yachts.

“It’s the combination of adventure and technology that makes this race so special,” Sir Chay added.

“Technology on board the Volvo Open 70s is just extraordinary and wouldn’t be out of place on a space shuttle.

“The Volvo Open 70s themselves are really quite extraordinary. They are more submarine than they are yacht, and so demanding physically and mentally.

“Never in a million years did I think the boats raced in this event would be where they are now.”

Sir Chay is an ambassador for the Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta, the first ever reunion of skippers, crews and boats from past editions of the event.

The Legends will take place in Alicante from November 1-5, in between the first In-Port Race on October 29 and the start of Leg 1 to Cape Town, South Africa, on November 5.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 | Leg 5 | Leg 6 | Leg 7 | Leg 8 | Leg 9
The Resume of the race 2011-2012

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com
Museo Volvo Ocean Race, Alicante: museovolvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland
6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

Edwards and her crew of Maiden won two of the six legs in their class including the spectacular route through the notorious Southern Ocean from Punta del Este to Fremantle, a leg which cost the life of Tony Philips from Creighton’s Naturally.

Round the World yachtswoman Tracy Edwards at the wheel of Maiden during the 1993-94 Whitbread Round the World Race | Tanya VIisser / PPL British

The team attracted attention far in excess of their rivals, both before and after the race. Edwards herself overcame incredible odds to bring the Maiden project together. Although Clare Francis had been the first female skipper with ADC Accutrac in 1977-78, and many other women had taken part in the event, the crews had always been mixed and there was a widely expressed view that women did not have the sheer physical strength necessary to compete.

There was much scepticism before the race started and no early major sponsorship was offered. Determined to compete, Edwards sold her house to buy the run-down 58’ (17.7m) Disque d’Or III, Pierre Fehlmann’s entry in the 1981-82 race and refit her to take part in 1989-90.

Sponsorship from Royal Jordanian Airlines came at the last minute, and the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson became ‘godmother’ to the boat and christened her ‘Maiden’ at a ceremony on the banks of the River Hamble on the south coast of England. When Maiden won arguably the toughest leg of the course on both corrected and elapsed time, the sceptics were silenced in the most effective way possible.

Maiden went on to win her class in leg three, finishing second overall in her division. This was the best result for a British boat since 1977 and Edwards became the first woman to win the Yachtsman of the Year Award in its 36-year history. In 1990 Edwards was named Sportswoman of the Year and presented with an MBE.

Edwards will be joining other Legend Ambassadors: Lady Pippa Blake, Magnus Olsson, Sir Chay Blyth CBE, BEM, and Skip Novak.

The Legends regatta is the first ever official reunion of all who have sailed in the world’s premier ocean race since the inaugural race in 1973-74.

It is being held in Alicante, Spain from 1-5 November 2011, the week between the Alicante in-port race and the start of leg one.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 | Leg 5 | Leg 6 | Leg 7 | Leg 8 | Leg 9
The Resume of the race 2011-2012

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com
Museo Volvo Ocean Race, Alicante: museovolvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland
6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

Adventure, the boat that finished second in the inaugural Whitbread, will be represented at the Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta by her sister ship Dasher.

Adventure was the British Royal Navy entrant in 1973 and 1977 and enjoyed a spectacular first race, winning three of the four legs and finishing second overall.

She will be raced in the Legends by original members of her crew, joined by some of the crew from 1989-90 entry Satquote British Defender.
Times have certainly changed from that first race in 1973-74.

Commander Colin Watkins, part of Adventure’s crew and later a skipper of British Satquote Defender, remembers at the start of the third leg, from Sydney to Rio de Janeiro, that Adventure was weighed down to the gunwales with 500 cans of beer, 50 bottles of wine and a couple of cases of spirits. “Plus of course tons of tinned food and bags of flour for baking,” he recalls.

In the Southern Ocean, the crew planned to be kept warm by a temperamental charcoal stove. “in theory it warmed the boat, but all it ever did was smoke us out and burn through our socks,” remembers Colin Watkins.

This latest addition brings the Legends fleet to nine, and with several more boats likely to confirm their participation a fleet of around 15 is now looking possible for the race in Alicante in November.

The Legends Regatta will be held in Alicante at the start of November, between the Alicante In Port race on October 29 and the start of the first leg to Cape Town on Saturday, November 5.

Entries in the Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta and Reunion:

1. Copernicus 1973-74 (45’: the smallest boat ever to race)
2. Great Britain II/Whitbread Heritage (Maxi – took part in the first five races)
3. Rothmans 1989-90 (Maxi)
4. Berge Viking 1981-82 (Swan 57)
5. Charles Jourdan 1989-90 (Maxi)
6. Steinlager 2 1989-90 (Maxi Ketch)
7. Gauloises III 1981-82 (62’ Sloop sailed by the French crew of Grand Louis/Japy-Hermes and Kriter IX)
8. Traité de Rome 1977-78 and 1981-82 (51’ aluminium sloop)
9. Adventure/Dasher

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 | Leg 5 | Leg 6 | Leg 7 | Leg 8 | Leg 9
The Resume of the race 2011-2012

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com
Museo Volvo Ocean Race, Alicante: museovolvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland
6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

Two-time Whitbread entry, Traité de Rome, will fly the EU flag at the Volvo Ocean Race Legends Regatta and Reunion this November.

The 51’ Sparkman & Stephens design is one of the smaller yachts taking part in the Legends event. Built in 1975 at Royal Huisman Shipyard as an Admiral’s Cup yacht for German industrialist, Willie Illbruck, she was originally named Pinta III. Following in his father’s footsteps, Illbruck’s son Michael won the Volvo Ocean Race in 2001-02 with American skipper John Kostecki.

She was renamed Traité de Rome in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding document for the European Union in 1957 and was lent to the Sail for Europe Association to take part in the second Whitbread in 1977-78.

The non-profit association was formed by French journalist Patricia Colmant, Belgian Guy Vanhaeverbeke – a information official at the European Parliament, and experienced Belgian skipper Philippe Hanin. Under Sail for Europe, they planned to send Traité de Rome around the world as a kind of goodwill ambassador, with one crewmember from each of the then nine European countries.

The audacious idea of entering the Whitbread quickly found backing among leading European figures and funding came in from private companies to support the project.

Traité de Rome was registered with the special sail number of EUR 1 and flew the European flag with nine gold stars, one for each country. Philippe Hanin led the first-ever European sports team in history to a highly commendable third place overall.

Once back in Europe, Traité de Rome embarked on a two-year tour of major European harbours, finishing in Athens to celebrate the conclusion of negotiations for Greece to join the E.U. She raced again in 1981-82 Whitbread, this time skippered by Italian Antonio Chioatto and finished in 14th place.

Nowadays, Traité de Rome is still sailed by the volunteers of Sail for Europe, following a programme of events organised around the rotating Presidencies of the European Union.

Once again skippered by Philippe Hanin, she will proudly fly the European flag at the Legends Regatta in Alicante this November.

About Traité de Rome

Rig: Masthead Sloop
Designer: Sparkman and Stephens
LOA 51’ (15.60m)
Crew: 9

Finished 3rd WRTWR 1977-78
Elapsed time 154.20.58.12
Skipper Philippe Hanin (BEL)

Finished 14th WRTWR 1981-82
Elapsed time 166.10.40.09
Skipper Antonio Chioatto (ITA)

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 | Leg 4 | Leg 5 | Leg 6 | Leg 7 | Leg 8 | Leg 9
The Resume of the race 2011-2012

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com
Museo Volvo Ocean Race, Alicante: museovolvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland
6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway