Volvo Ocean Race - Boston stop TR

[drjeff]

So, I'm in Boston this weekend with my wife who is attending a conference, and I happened to notice this past week that the fleet of 70 foot sailboats that are competing in the Volvo Ocean Race (a round the world, multi stop race) arrived in Boston this past week and are here with a very spectator friendly pier location down by the Federal Courthouse in Southie. Since I spent a bunch of time sailing growing up, and the location is maybe 1/4 mile from the Boston Convention Center where my wife's conference is, I figured that I'd go check out the boats before having lunch with my wife today.

All I can say is WOW! These boats are MASSIVE! They're currently hauled and in their cradles for inter-leg maintenance and the race organizers have a very fan friendly spectator village set up aroud the boats with tons of interactive displays. The boats themselves, like I said are massive! 70 feet long, gotta be close to 15-18 feet of beam in the stern, and when in their cradles, the bulb of their keel is maybe 18" off the ground and the deck of the boat is easily over 20 feet up in the air! See the pics below!

The boats are in Boston for the next 2 weeks before they head off for a trans-atlantic crossing. If anyone is in the area, check them out! Cool for both big kids and little kids to look at (they even have some Volvo semi-trucks and excavators that kids can climb in/on!

The 2 Ericson boats - for size perspective look at the people semi-hidden by the AZ stamp!

Telefonica + Delta Llyod

Keel close-up (roughly 8 feet long by my estimate)

Stern Close Up

View down the mast

The fullsize Lego Volvo wagon

 

[playoutside]

Thanks for posting this. The pictures are great. I'm headed there tomorrow.

This race is done every three years. During the last race I worked for a company that sponsored 2 boats in the race; one of which was the winner. The winning boat is in this years race as the Delta Lloyd-sponsored boat.

I never heard of this race until a few years ago and am shocked at how weak the advertising/press for it is. Boston is the ONLY North American stop for this race. Many boats finished this leg (Rio to Boston; 4000 miles; 15-16 days at sea) last Sunday, it didn't make the news, not as sports, not as human interest. There are finally occasional pop-ups on Boston.com and some early morning ads on TV. It's a shame since this could truly be a spectacular thing for the whole family.

 

[TheBEast]

That lego car is WAY cool! Oh and those boats.....$$$$$

 

[mlctvt]

Thanks for the post and pictures DrJeff.
I just finished reading "Godforsaken Sea" by Derek Lundy. Its about the round the world solo sailboat race the Vendee Globe. Great book about crazy solo sailors who race through the Southern Artic Sea in winter. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in sailing or just like to read about people doing incredible things.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Wow..impressive pictures and the lego SUV is mad steezy yo!!!!!!

 

[drjeff]

Putting up a couple of youtube highlight clips. Obviously they're just showing the EXTREME weather stuff in these, which makes it look like an episode of The Deadliest Catch less the crab :lol:

 

[TheBEast]

Holy crap, those guys are hauling A$$ in that 2nd video!! Now that is extreme!

 

[Glenn]

Nice pics! I did that Lego Volvo.

 

[Marc]

Thanks drjeff. Volvo Ocean Race is madness.