11/04/2011 08:22 am

Volvo Ocean Race Kicks Off in Spain

The 11th Volvo Ocean Race got its start this past weekend when six teams battled for the first points in the opening In-Port Race in Alicante, Spain, which marks the start of the nine leg round-the-world yachting adventure.

It's a regatta like no other. By the time the race ends in nine months, the sailors will have stopped over in Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, Itajaí, Miami, Lisbon and Lorient on their way to the final port of Galway, Ireland.

The globe-spanning route is an endurance test not only for the sailors, but also for DHL, the race’s Official Logistics Partner. DHL, which is part of the world’s leading logistics group, Deutsche Post DHL, will be responsible for the air, sea, and land transportation of the events' highly valuable equipment along the 39,000 nautical mile (72,000 kilometer) course. From the haulage of pavilions for visitors to the ten Race Villages to maintaining a short-term supply of spare parts – including masts up to 100 feet tall – at a spare parts depot in Amsterdam to be flown to the yachts in case of an emergency, DHL has all contingencies covered.

To help the teams manage short stopovers and keep their loads light, DHL will also be ‘leapfrogging’ two identical sets of 40ft ocean freight containers with a volume of 67.0 cubic meters per team between ports. The containers include everything from loft hand tools to lifejacket kits and rig lifting sling sets. The teams use the content of the first container during the first leg and take over the second container after they arrive in port to use during the next leg. DHL then packs up the equipment used during the first leg in the first container and ships it to the next destination port while the sailors are out to sea. This puts DHL one step ahead of the boats and ensures the teams receive their gear on time in order to prepare their vessels for the next leg.

It's just one of the ways we're leveraging our logistics know-how to help these sailors compete.

Stay live and up-to-date as the race progresses with our DHL Volvo Ocean Race Viewer. Follow the link to track the teams online and enjoy other special features like calculating the distance between boats. Enjoy!

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