As the race moves from continent to continent, Volvo IT provides the infrastructure and hands-on support to ensure the media and race community can conduct business as usual.

“With this race, we are setting up new offices every month – at different cities and continents around the world. Having an Internet line at the stop-overs is more important to us than anything else. If we didn’t have an Internet line, we couldn’t communicate,” says Michael Woods, CEO of Team Russia, one of the eight sailing teams competing to win the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race.

Communication is a critical to the race’s success. And, it is Volvo IT’s job to make sure everything works as it should. “At the stop-overs, there is always the potential for issues. So, it is invaluable to have Volvo IT helping us with our network connectivity, to ensure we have email access, and to trouble-shoot any PC problems we might have,” says Michael Woods.

For most of the race, the eight sailing teams are out of sight from land and television crews. Yet, the web is allowing millions around the world to keep pace with the action out on the water. 

“With the web site, we can communicate about the Volvo Ocean Race to an audience of over 100,000 people a day -  the equivalent of the world’s largest football stadium,” says Michael Woods. “This is transforming our sport.”

Volvo IT is also responsible for hosting the Volvo Ocean Race web site, which means ensuring that the site is available 24 x 7. “Even if it is a relatively quiet day, I check the Volvo Ocean Race web site every three hours to see how the boat is doing,” says Michael Woods.

Michael Woods, CEO of Team Russia

Thanks to the dedicated media crew member onboard each boat, the official Volvo Ocean Race web site includes streaming video, email updates, blog reports, and images – all of which are transmitted from the sailing teams, via the Internet site, to the rest of the world.

“In the old days, the race was about using the harbor to find out what happened out at sea during each leg. Now, we can focus on the action in the ocean. The Internet is allowing us to build the audience for the race. Online visitors are watching the boats, tuning in to their position, hearing their stories, and following their progress - that’s exciting. That is where the payback is. That is where you can bring the action to life,” concludes Michael Woods.