Volvo Ocean Race Event - Now Started!

Photo © Ian Roman/Volvo Ocean Race

At the beginning of July, the top 32 Optimist sailors get to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race Team Racing Event.

Accommodation has been booked for sailors in the Glassan accomodation in Galway.

Optimist sailors are expected to arrive on the night of 2nd July, with the introduction to the event at 9.30 am the next morning, when the 8 teams will be announced. This first day will be an ISAF team racing training day, in the classroom and on the water, with international umpire Chris Atkins.

Boats, spars, foils and sails will be provided by the Volvo Ocean Race organising team.

During the event, Oppie sailors will get to meet the Volvo Ocean race sailors and will have some access to the Ocean Race boats.

The event 'On the Water' schedule is available here: http://www.volvooceanracegalway.ie/Portals/0/Festival%20Event%20Guides/on%20 water.pdf

There are organised events for everyone, not just the 32 Optimist sailors: trial runs on Galway Hookers, Donegal Drondheim, Achill Yawls and an Arab Dhow - The ISA website has details of the water-based activities, http://www.sailing.ie/ISANews/tabid/115/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/29128/Volvo-Ocean-Race-Activities-Programme.aspx. 

There is a food tasting festival and a music festival running during the time of the entire event, June 30 - July 8th, and TG4 have a program covering the event.

IODAI pre-booked accommodation for sailors and their families; this is now heavily booked, but contact them directly on 091 773333 to check availability. Costs are €26 per adult and €23 per child. €100 will secure accomodation in the 4-bed apartments of GMIT for the 4 nights of the event.

We have an appeal for Volunteers from the organisers - 

The Volvo accademy team racing will require help for the event. 

3 x Committee boat

1 xFinish boat

2 x Slip 

4x Jury

Could you help here?

Also looking for 6 support ribs - Can you help here?

Replies to president@iodai.com

Thank you.

The Volvo Team Academy

As part of Volvo Ocean Race¹s efforts to engage with a young audience and to foster future sailing talent Volvo Ocean Race will be launching an initiative in the 2011-12 race that gives serious young sailors the opportunity to develop their talents in events held in each of the Ports. The Academy is for children aged seven to 19 years. All events will be held in the Race Village area where the Academy will have a base open to all visitors to learn more about the sport and skill of sailing and how to get into it.

Volvo Team Racing

Team Racing will be sailed in Optimist boats. The Optimist is the largest youth dinghy fleet with over 150,000 children aged approximately nine to 15 years sailing Optimists in over 100 countries worldwide. The Optimist is 2.3m long, weighs only 35kg and is sailed by one person alone. The Volvo Ocean Race Academy will bring with it 20 Optimists plus additional rigs for the Team Racing.

Preceding the two days of Team Racing in each Port will be a one day ISAF Team Racing Clinic run by Chris Atkins, International Umpire. A Team Racing Clinic is to introduce the game of Team Racing in areas where there is little or no experience with this kind of sailing and to develop the game skills of more experienced Team racers. Short sessions held in a classroom environment are followed by on the water coaching and skill development. 32 sailors will participate in the clinic plus umpires, coaches and race officials.

Racing will be held on a small course close to the spectators, with always two teams, eight boats, racing against each other, closely followed by the next two teams. Each race lasts approximately eight minutes with as many as 50 races a day. Umpires follow the races on the water and may impose penalties to anyone who breaks the rules. After a number of rounds the teams will progress to knockout stages and the final. There will be live commentary and a prize giving on the main stage. Volvo Ocean Race will provide the boats and sails, which will be branded according to the Teams participating in the Volvo Ocean Race

Day 1 App 0930: Briefing for all 32 sailors (eight teams of four)

Clinic: three sessions, each consisting of 1hr in classroom and 1hr on water

Sailors split in two groups of four teams, group 1 starts in classroom, group 2 on water

Day 2 App 0930: Briefing and practice on water in the morning

Clinic for Umpires

App 1330: 1^st round of Team Racing (all teams racing against each other)

Day 3 App 0930: 2^nd</

Some of you have sent in questions; here are the answers:

1. Do sailors and parents get entry tickets to the village etc etc. All the race village is free, including main stage entertainment. And other youth attarctions, 3d cinema Air Balls and some other stuff.
2. Who do they meet as in important people ­ sailors The Prize giving will be on the main stage, we dont know yet what access there will be.
3. Will they get to sail the big boats Don¹t think this will be possible, boats don¹t have much free time, but they should be able to get some access.

For a flavour of the event please see the IODA website where similar team racing events have been held in Spain & South Africa.

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