Volvo Ocean Race on NBCSN & Outside

[ChrisK]

Media release, schedule and more info:

Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 to Appear on NBCSN & Outside Television Beginning in October

NEWPORT, RI (September 25) ? NBC Sports Network, which was critically acclaimed for its 2013 coverage of the 34th America's Cup, has signed on to provide full broadcast coverage in the U.S. of the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, the world?s premier offshore sailing race. Outside Television will also air complete TV programming ? in addition to full digital coverage ? of the nine-month long race from October 2014-June 2015.

            The race kicks off October 11, 2014 in Alicante, Spain and runs for 39 weeks until the race finish in Gothenburg, Sweden next June. During the nearly 40,000 nautical mile journey around the world, the boats will pass through Newport, RI from May 5-17, the only North American stopover of the race. Television coverage will feature 39 half-hour sports dramas and will air primarily on late afternoon weekend slots each week on NBCSN beginning in late October, and on Outside Television with new episodes every Monday at 10:30PM EST with the program re-airing throughout the week.

            NBCSN?s coverage will begin with an exciting 1.5-hour block of episodes to kick-off the race start at 1pm ET on Sunday, October 26.

            ?NBC Sports Group?s coverage of the Louis Vuitton Series and the 34th Americas Cup was a tremendous success and demonstrated the country?s strong appetite for sailing on television,? said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBCSN. ?We look forward to showcasing the Volvo Ocean Race, and some of the best sailors in the world, as they cross the globe in one of the most prestigious and physically demanding races in the sport.?

            Outside Television will also show a full slate of live streaming and online coverage of the race at OutsideTelevision.com that includes digital streaming of the leg starts, in-port races, news features and live look-ins with the boats.

            ?We feel the Volvo Ocean Race is the perfect type of event programming for Outside Television to broadcast? said Rob Faris, SVP Programming & Production for Outside Television. ?The race is all about high-adventure & the team?s experiences around the world and the programs will focus on the human stories that come with a nine month long journey. It is the premier offshore ocean race and we are thrilled to have them as partners for both our TV and Digital platforms.?   

            NBC partner Universal Sports will also feature Volvo Ocean Race programming and re-airs.

            London-based production company Sunset+Vine, which previously produced race coverage in 2005-06 and 2008-09, will produce the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15.

            ?We are calling this race the human edition,? said Knut Frostad, Volvo Ocean Race CEO. ?We want to highlight the emotional drama and adventures of sailing around the world at these speeds. What are the sailors thinking? What are they feeling? How are they interacting in the tight quarters of their 65-foot boats while living life at the extreme over nine months.?

            Each team will feature a dedicated Onboard Reporter (OBR) ? a trained multi-media specialist ? who will shoot, interview and send footage back to the race headquarters in Alicante, Spain daily via satellite. Footage will be weaved and edited together with sophisticated race graphics, weather data and tracking information to craft a dramatic 30-minute show every week.

             ?The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the greatest challenges in sport,? said Andrew Piller, Commercial Director for Sunset+Vine, host broadcaster and distribution partner. ?From the world?s most dangerous seas to some of the remotest places on Earth, the seven cameras rigged on each boat, with their on-board reporters, will take viewers to the very heart of the action sharing the journey with race participants who will become our heroes.? 

            Seven boats will be at the start line in October, including joint U.S.-Turkish entry Team Alvimedica from Newport, RI, featuring 29-year-old American skipper Charlie Enright (Bristol, RI).

            For the first time ever in the race, all teams will use a standard one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boat purpose-built for the race, allowing the boats to be designed around the needs of television and video.

            ?Our boats for this race have been built from the ground up to double as floating production houses with cameras, microphones, interview locations and editing facilities onboard,? said Frostad. ?It?s a true reality series like you?ve never seen. Unlike other so-called reality shows, absolutely nothing is scripted in the race.?

            The Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 was viewed by over 1.5 billion people worldwide, featured nearly 9,000 broadcasts globally including news pieces, and was won by French-entry Groupama.



NBCSN 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race Schedule (subject to change)

Day      Date                        Episode         Time

Sun      26-Oct                         1          1:00 - 1:30PM

Sun      26-Oct                         2          1:30 - 2:00PM

Sun      26-Oct                         3          2:00 - 2:30PM

Sun      2-Nov                          4          2:30 - 3:00PM

Sat       8-Nov                          5          3:00 - 3:30PM

Sun      16-Nov                        6          10:30 - 11:00PM

Sun      23-Nov                        7          2:30 - 3:00AM

Sat       29-Nov                        8          6:00 - 6:30PM

Sun      7-Dec                          9          4:00 - 4:30PM

Sun      14-Dec                        10        5:30 - 6:00PM

Sun      21-Dec                        11        5:30 - 6:00PM

Sun      28-Dec                        12        6:30 - 7:00PM

Sun      4-Jan                           13        5:00 - 5:30PM

Fri        9-Jan                           14        6:30-7:00PM

Fri        16-Jan                         15        11:00-11:30PM

Sun      25-Jan                         16        1:00 - 1:30PM

Sun      1-Feb                           17        5:00 - 5:30PM

Sun      8-Feb                           18        5:30-6:00PM

Sun      15-Feb                         19        12:00-12:30PM

Sat       21-Feb                         20        1:00-1:30PM

Sun      1-Mar                           21        6:00-6:30PM

Sat       7-Mar                           22        12:00-12:30PM

Sat       14-Mar                         23        4:30-5:00PM

Sun      22-Mar                         24        3:30-4:00PM

Sun      29-Mar                         25        4:30-5:00PM

Sun      5-Apr                           26        2:30 3:00PM

Sat       11-Apr                         27        12:30-1:00PM

Sun      19-Apr                         28        2:30-3:00PM

Sat       25-Apr                         29        6:00-6:30PM

Sun      3-May                          30        4:00-4:30PM

Sat       9-May                          31        3:30-4:00PM

Sun      17-May                        32        4:00-4:30PM

Sat       23-May                        33        4:30-5:00PM

Sun      31-May                        34        1:00-1:30PM

Sun      7-Jun                           35        4:00-4:30PM

Sun      14-Jun                         36        3:30-4:00PM

Sun      21-Jun                         37        4:00-4:30PM

Sun      28-Jun                         38        1:00-1:30PM

Sun      5-Jul                            39        7:30-8:00PM

Robert Penner
U.S. Media Manager
Volvo Ocean Race

[Veljko]

I've been watching their daily videos on this youtube channel (they are sponsored by Inmarsat, so the videos are all HD):

https://www.youtube.com/user/volvooceanracevideos

Does anyone know if mid-May weather in Newport is usually good enough to be on the water (to watch the in-port racing and the start of the N. Atlantic leg)?

[Sailaway]

I'm going!

[edthemainsailguy]

They're Volvo Ocean Racers...racing in port....close enough to nearly touch, (with binoculars)...it's Newport....even if it rains...the weather will be fine....