Volvo Ocean Race

Highlights of one of the sporting world’s most challenging events, the Volvo Ocean Race, are captured in this inspired infographic created by Newport Beach-based creative agency Column Five Media. Featuring pirated waters and severe weather extremes, the grueling quadrennial race is rife with danger. Founded in 1973, the competition tests physical endurance, strategy and sportsmanship as a handful of crews race each other across the most treacherous ocean expanses on the globe. Kicking off in October from Alicante, Spain, the first leg of this year’s race saw the teams journey some 6,500 nautical miles (12,308km) to Cape Town, South Africa. After 21 days the Spanish Team Telefónica arrived first in port: “As you can imagine we are really happy, this is a great victory for the team,” says Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez, the 33-year-old two-time Olympic medalist. In a testament to the brutal nature of the race, three of the six teams retired from the first leg before the finish line. “When we were battling with Team Puma for the lead, their mast broke and we were left out there alone,” continues Martínez. “From there it was more about not breaking anything, and being careful.” As the second leg commences, the teams take sail for Abu Dhabi this Sunday to spend the holidays at sea as they transition from the Atlantic into the Indian Ocean and cross 5,420 nautical miles (10,056km) to arrive in the Emirates on New Year’s Day.