Volvo Ocean Race announces new partner deals

The Volvo Ocean Race has announced a host of major companies to join their Official Suppliers list for the 2017-18 edition.

Spinlock, ailment Riwal and Gottifredi Maffioli will join existing Boatyard suppliers Volvo Penta, unhealthy North Sails, look Mastervolt, Southern Spars NZ, Harken and B&G as Volvo Ocean Race Official Suppliers in order to develop and create bespoke products and solutions for sailing’s toughest offshore challenge.

Right now, the agreements include work on the €1 million-per-boat refit process underway in The Boatyard’s state-of-the-art facility in Lisbon, Portugal. In the long term, the hope is the collaboration will lead to innovations that trickle down into the consumer sector.

Nick Bice, Director of Boats and Maintenance at the Volvo Ocean Race, said the partnerships would result in the Race working closer than ever before with the marine industry’s global leaders.

“The Volvo Ocean Race is the ultimate real-world test bench,” Bice said. “We’re proud to be working with the Who’s Who of the sailing industry – the people and companies at the forefront of innovation, creativity and quality.

“The Boatyard has already brought a lot to the Race in terms of evolution, and getting these partners onboard will help not only the event, but the wider sailing industry, to evolve even further and faster in the future.” 

Spinlock, based in the UK, is an award-winning lifejacket manufacturer; Europe’s Riwal specialises in aerial work platforms and lifts; North Sails is the global leader in sailmaking; Mastervolt is the industry specialist in autonomous power solutions; Italian company Gottifredi Maffioli, founded almost a century ago, manufactures a wide range of ropes.

Southern Spars designs and manufactures bespoke carbon masts and booms; Volvo Penta is a world-leading supplier of engines and complete power systems for marine and industrial applications; Harken is a global powerhouse in sailboat hardware and accessories; B&G is the industry leader in marine instruments, autopilot systems and tactical software solutions. 

Bice added, “The Volvo Ocean 65 fleet survived the last 70,000 or so nautical miles, including training, with just a few hitches, and with these new partners onboard, we’re even more confident that they’ll be in great shape over another 70,000 nautical miles,”

“Make no mistake, these boats will be like new when they line up on the start line in Alicante. With a stringent re-fit process currently underway, based largely around reliability, but also to upgrade technology, no stone remains unturned. We’re very excited about the innovations and evolutions on board.” 

The 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race will see the fleet tackle 45,000 nautical miles, racing up to three times more miles in the Southern Ocean than in recent editions. Departing Alicante on October 22, 2017, the teams will visit a total of 11 major cities, with the big finish in The Hague in summer 2018.

{jcomments on}