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Volvo Ocean Race: the Boatyard

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The Volvo Ocean Race stopovers are a chance for sailors to rest between grueling legs of the race and for fans to enjoy seeing their favorite boats in person. Behind the scenes of the festivities, however, Nick Bice and his team of expert riggers, boatbuilders, sailmakers and marine hardware specialists are hard at work restoring the Volvo 65 fleet. From taking apart winches to checking for internal weaknesses with hull ultrasounds, they're responsible for every detail.

"The online media or the show is only 5% of what goes on. A lot of what goes on is behind the scenes," Nick says. In an interview with SAIL, he offered a look into the other 95% of what makes the Volvo Ocean Race possible. So, while you're visiting the race village or watching the In-Port Series, check out the boatyard and the work Nick and his team are doing.

May 2018

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