#vor – Iker Martínez will again be leading the Spanish challenge for the Volvo Ocean Race in 2014-15, his team confirmed today.

The 37-year-old Basque sailor, who has just been crowned European champion in the Nacra 17 multihull class, is looking forward to his second campaign as a skipper following the Team Telefónica entry in 2011-12.

On that occasion, Martínez had the luxury of many months of preparation that helped propel the Spanish boat to a big early lead in the last Volvo Ocean Race before being overhauled by eventual winners, Groupama of France. Telefónica eventually finished fourth.

This time, he does not have so much time to oversee the Spanish team's challenge as it was only announced last month.

Martínez, Olympic 49er champion in 2004, is still relishing the opportunity, however.

"I am very happy to be skipper of this project again, flying the flag of our country," he said. "It is a big challenge – not only because the Volvo Ocean Race is such a long and tough race for all the crew members – but also because we know we do not have much time left before the first leg start on October 11.

"We know that we're really pressed for time and the other teams are far ahead in terms of preparation but we are working hard to make up the difference."

He will once again have his best friend and trusted long-time competition partner Xabi Fernández alongside him as watch captain. The pair won Olympic gold together in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and then silver in 2008 in the 49er class.

Additionally, Ñeti Cuervas-Mons, who was also a member of the Telefónica crew, and fellow Spaniard Rafa Trujillo have been named in the Spanish boat's team for 2014-15 plus French navigator Nico Lunven.

The team has also announced today that they have recruited the biggest name in French sailing, Michel Desjoyeaux, to help guide the crew's preparations.

Martínez said: "It's lucky for us to have Michel available to help us prepare for this campaign. We called him for different reasons, but above all for his great knowledge. Michel is fundamental in helping us prepare this project in the best possible way in such a short amount of time.

"Some of our crew, had previous commitments before the start, in my case, the Nacra and the world championships in Santander so we needed his support."

Desjoyeaux is one of the leading figures of global single-handed ocean racing having twice won the Vendée Globe plus the Solitaire du Figaro on three occasions and the Route du Rhum. He also competed in the Volvo Ocean Race/Whitbread Round the World Race in 1985-86 (Cote d'Or), 1989-90 (Charles Jourdan) and 1993-94 (La Poste).

On Saturday, the Spanish team whose title sponsor has yet to be announced, compete in the Round the Canary Islands race in their Volvo Ocean 65s against Volvo Ocean Race competitors Team Brunel and the all-female crew of Team SCA.

The Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 will begin on October 4 with the Alicante in-port race followed by the start of the first leg on October 11 to Cape Town.

#VOR - Volvo Ocean Race bosses have announced the fourth team confirmed for the next edition of the round-the-world yachting challenge that sets sail in less than a year.

Netherlands-based Team Brunel will return to the competition after two previous entries - this time led by skipper Bouwe Bekking, a veteran of six previous Volvo Ocean Races.

And according to the VOR website, the 12th edition of the race in 2014-15 will be a "chance to put the record straight" for Bekking, who has twice finished runner-up in the event that's seen three Dutch winners in its 40-year history.

It will also see him match Roger Nilson's record for the most VOR appearances.

“A Dutch-speaking team in the Volvo Ocean Race again – we owe this to our heritage and the future sailing generations to come. But above all it’s the best sailing in the world," said Bekking at the announcement in Amsterdam earlier today (3 December).

Team Bunuel is the latest addition to the entry list that already includes the returning Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, the all-women Team SCA and the Chinese contingent Team Dongfeng, who have just held the pull-down test for their VOR 65 one-design ahead of their first sailings later this week.

#VOR - Seahorse Magazine takes an in-depth look at Farr Yacht Design's work on the appendages for the new one design VOR 65 that will compete in the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race next year.

Farr designer Alon Finkelstein goes step-by-step through the different key elements that attach to the hull, from the keel to the bulb, daggerboard and rudder - the parts that can make or break a racing yacht.

"The design brief... required the appendage package to be significantly less costly than that of a Volvo Open 70, with equivalent or higher safety factors... and a similar performance envelope," he writes.

But boat designers constantly strive to achieve more for less, and as Finkelstein explains, the design of the VOR 65 is no different.

Seahorse Magazine has much more on the story HERE.

#VOR - Team SCA have been posting some record-breaking times in their training runs off Lanzarote as of late, as the official Volvo Ocean Race website reports.

Most recently the all-female team set a new record from Puerto Calero to La Palma Marina last weekend. This achievement followed their victory in the Round Lanzarote Race last month - their first competitive event sailing together as a team.

"It was a fairly big milestone in our preparations and we were lucky to have great conditions, which enabled us to get the race record," said Vendee Glone veteran Sam Davies, who captains a squad of world-class racing women eager to jump into their next challenge - the Rolex Fastnet Race in August.

Meanwhile, the Volvo Ocean Race is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, and put together the short film above "about the spirit and the people behind sport's ultimate test of character".

The heat is already on for the return of the race in October next year, with the new design VOR 65 coming together nicely.

In the latest video update following the new yacht's construction, VOR's Rick Deppe visits the Gottifredi Maffioli factory in Italy where the ropes are being made:

#VOR - North Sails has revealed its sail wardrobe for the new one design VOR 65 with less than 18 months to go before the latest Volvo Ocean Race sets sail.

As The Daily Sail reports, the sails will be manufactured at North Sails' Nevada base using its 3Di process in a range of deniers, except for the A3 and storm jib.

Sails will be constructed in batches to ensure the same mould is used for eight sails of one type. The sails will then be finished at Vannes in France before being paired up with their respective vessels, assembly of which is racing ahead.

Perhaps most importantly, each team competing will have the use of just 12 sails - only eight of which will be allowed on board for each leg of the race. No recuts will be allowed except for repairs, in order to maintain the fairness of the one design principle.

“Our main objective is to make a really durable sail that holds its shape and stays together for as long as the race needs it to stay together," said North Sails general manager Jeff Neri.

The Daily Sail has more on the story HERE.

#VOR - The Volvo Ocean Race team caught up with Ireland's own Damian Foxall on board Sidney Gavignet's MOF 70 yacht Oman Sail with fellow VOR veteran Neal McDonald.

As reported in March on Afloat.ie, Ireland's top offshore sailor - and watch-leader for last year's VOR-winning team Groupama - is part of an international crew that attempted to break the Round Ireland speed record that was unfortunately abandoned due to the harsh wintry conditions.

But Foxall vowed that a repeat attempt is on the cards, and tells the VOR website that his experience on Oman Sail "is exactly what I wanted to do after the Volvo. I just wanted to sail with a smaller team of friends, racing with a good crew."

He added: "Sidney, Neal and I have been sailing and working a lot together. It’s a very natural thing and it’s a pleasure.”

Foxall also sings the praises of the MOD 70 one design, heralding the future of the Volvo Ocean Race and the new VOR 65 yacht.

"It’s light in terms of logistics and repairs. On the water too, I’m looking forward to enjoy the best of the One Design sailing – the battle on the water and not in the boatyard."

#VOR - In the latest video updates from the Volvo Ocean Race, we follow the first completed hull and deck of the new design VOR 65 on an epic journey across Europe for assembly in the UK.

Following the March report, it was a race against time to transport these key components from Persico in Italy, via Multiplast in France, to Green Marine in Southampton.

The schedule was tight enough as it was without a sudden blast of wintry weather across the continent to contend with.

See more of the VOR video series Building The Future below:

#VOR - The sailing world has paid tribute to Volvo Ocean Race coach and round-the-world yachting legend Magnus Olsson, who has passed away from a stroke at the age of 64.

Olsson was a long-time veteran of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), beginning in 1985 when it was known as the Whitbread Round The World Race and last competing in the 2008-09 edition.

Most recently he was coaching the all-women Team SCA in their preparations for the 12th edition of the race starting this summer.

"It's with great sadness I received the news about Magnus passing away," said VOR chief Knut Frostad. "He was my mentor when I sailed around the world with him 20 years ago.

"He was the inspiration for me and for so many more and more than anything he was the smile of the race," he continued. "A true friend has left on his final leg and the sailing world will never be the same without Magnus and his smile. Never. My thoughts are with his two sons and his close family today."

Olsson - known to friends as 'Mange' - was born on 4 January 1949 and grew up near Stockholm. He began sailing on Lake Mälaren aged eight and learned his trade in OK Dinghy, Trapez and 505s, winning three Swedish national titles in the latter.

Before beginning his round-the-world career he also served as crew on Sverige in the 1976 America's Cup.

The Volvo Ocean Race website has further tributes from world sailing luminaries HERE.

#VOR - Lorient in France completes the route for the next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Like last year, the Brittany port city will be the penultimate stopover for the race fleet when they sail in at some point in mid June 2015.

But rather than a return to Galway, the race will continue on to the new finish line at Gothenburg in Sweden - as announced by race organisers in February.

“This route has never really been part of any ocean race any time before,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. “And when you have that element there’s a new strategy, there’s a new route, there’s new weather, there’s new challenges for the sailors.

"That is exciting, not only for us but for the sailors because no-one can claim they’ve done this before.”

The 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race begins on 4 October this year with the first in-port race in Alicante.

In other VOR news, Team SCA has selected the first five members of its all-woman team for the global yachting challenge.

Britons Sam Davies and Annie Lush will be joined by Dutchwoman Carolijn Brouwer and Aussie par Sophie Ciszek and Liz Wardley on the squad that marks the first female-only crew in the race for more than a decade.

#VOR - The Chinese port of Sanya is the latest addition to the route for the next Volvo Ocean Race.

The sunny city in southern China - and the "best kept secret in sailing" according to Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad - returns to the race with previously announced addition Lisbon after its debut hosting in the 2011-2012 edition,

"We were given an exceptional welcome by Sanya in the last edition, with the stopover providing a unique take on the race, and it's gratifying to know we will be back to build on our legacy," said Frostad.

Sanya also fielded a team backed by Discover Ireland in the last edition of the global yachting challenge - though they dealt with some misfortune only hours into the first leg of the race, suffering very serious hull damage as seen HERE.

Meanwhile, progress on the new design VOR 65 that will be raced in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race made a great leap forward this week as the hull completed at Persico in Italy and the decking built at Multiplast in France made their way to Green Marine in Southampton for assembly.

The video above also includes a sneak peak at a mockup of the completed design that will hopefully take to the water in the coming months.