Telefonica Blue 2008-09

Telefonica Blue breaks away from the start line in Alicante, Spain for leg 1 of The Volvo Ocean Race. Next is a 6,500nm battle to Cape Town, South Africa.
© Rick Tomlinson/Volvo AB

Another of the entries in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race - Telefonica Blue - was sistership to Telefonica Black. Telefonica Blue, which came third in the overall classification, was skippered by Dutch ocean racing legend Bouwe Bekking, currently taking part in the inaugural VO65 Sprint Cup as part of The Ocean Race 2022-23.

Other crew members included Spaniard Pablo Arrate - also a skipper in the VO65 Sprint Cup - and Simon Fisher, currently competing on board the American-flagged IMOCA 11th Hour Racing Team.

The VO70 would return to the event, during the 2011-12 Race, rebranded as Team Sanya. This Chinese entry saw the return of skipper Mike Sanderson after his win in the 2005–06 Race. Team Sanya, however, finished sixth, with French entry Groupama 4 - skippered by French ocean racing legend Franck Cammas - claiming overall victory.