On “Telefónica” today the in-port sails were hoisted, on which over 15,000 people have scribbled their support for the Spanish team ahead of their imminent departure around the globe on the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. They will set off on Saturday 5th November from the port of Alicante and will head to South Africa following a 6,500 mile course on the first leg of this competition.
These special sails have been inside the Team Telefónica zone in the leisure area of the Race Village for fifteen days, so that anybody who wished to could put their support for the team lead by double Olympic medallist Iker Martínez down on 'sail'...
1,000 signatures a day were collected over the fifteen days. With three days to go until the race start the sails can now be seen in the port. They'll travel across the world with the team, flying in the nine countries where “Telefónica” will stop over, including Spain, during the nine months of competition: South Africa, Abu Dhabi, China, New Zealand, Brazil, USA, Portugal, France and Ireland.
Skipper on the Spanish boat, Iker Martínez overlooked the hoisting of the sails personally this morning as well as taking a close look at the messages from 15,000 people from all over Spain and the world written on the them: Torrevieja, Cádiz, Alicante, Holland, Germany, France… In thanks, Iker Martínez himself wrote “Thank you for your support!”, whilst Technical Director Horacio Carabelli, a Uruguayan based in Brazil wrote his message in Portuguese: “que todo de certo”, which means “may everything go well”.
From us here... thank you everybody!
With the provisional leader of the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race sailing solo on what from the outside could look like a different race, and reaping the rewards ...
The island of Madeira now close and her rivals hot on her trail: that was the scene as morning broke this morning for “Telefónica” on this fourth day of racing ...
It's official. Iker and Xabi are the 2011 best sailors in the world according to ISAF, the International Sailing Federation and sailing's maximum authority. The Team Telefónica sailors ...
It is the fourth day of racing in the Volvo Ocean Race and as morning broke it was with good news for the Spanish team, with “Telefónica” leading the fleet, ...
"Telefónica" is now sailing in the Atlantic after a rough Mediterranean ride. Yesterday (Sunday 6th November) the Spanish entry crossed the Gibraltar Strait in second place "with the boat ...
What a start to the Volvo Ocean Race... It's well known that the Med can play some cruel tricks and it has definitely put the six boats ...
And so the day has finally come. At 14:00 local time, Spanish boat “Telefónica” with double Olympic medallist Iker Martínez as Skipper, kicked off her first offshore leg of ...
START OF THE LEG 1: ALICANTE – CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
IKER MARTÍNEZ, Skipper.
On the atmosphere, the crowds and the final moments on shore:
I am very happy and excited. ...
Following 24 months of hard work, and 9 months more of tough graft ahead, the moment of truth has come. The crew on “Telefónica” are facing their final hours ...
The pace isn't letting up at the Team Telefónica base and with more than 24 hours to go until the fleet hear the starting signal sound for the start of ...
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