Current Events I. Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Once every three years there is held a mega popular round the world regatta which is carried out on single-masted yachts. The first competition was in 1973 and since then it is considered to be one of the most prestigious races among the yachtsmen. 

This year the race has started in Alicante, the city in Spain and is going to finish in Gothenburg in summer 2015. There are 9 different stages : Alicante, Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, Itajai, Newport, Lisbon, Lorient and Gothenburg. Furthemore, there will be held 10 so-called port races – short races in the waters of big cities, designed to increase entertainment of the competition. In 2014-15, an all-female crew will race against Volvo Ocean Race veterans and first-time rookies. There are 16 nationalities among the seven teams with sailors from Australia, Belgium, China and many other countries.

Every stopover features the race village programme with fantastic free entertainment for the guests and participants: concerts, ceremonies, celebrity appearances, and activities within the Volvo Ocean Race Experience.

The mass media plays a great role in the development of yachting. The standard team onboard consists of eight sailors plus one non-sailing multimedia reporter onboard the standard teams. Many international journalists always take part in each step of the regatta, because these sport events are very popular among the viewers. They attract as much attention as football matches. As the contingent consist of very rich and wealthy people, all the most famous brands “struggle” for being a sponsor and advertise their product. For example, one of the main sponsor of this very regatta is well-known concern Volvo.

Right now all the teams are on the third stage, they reached Abu Dhabi. The leg Start is going to be on the 3 of January and the distance to Sanya is 4,670 nm.

Sport and Media. Yachting.

Our lifestyle in 21 century is extremely contradictory. There is no doubt that widespread of drugs, fast food, different gadgets, modern technologies in general influence our lives in a very bad way, making us lazy, unhealthy and less active. However, at the same time, the value of sport and healthy lifestyle promotes and developes. Fortunately, the media always tries to attract our attention to different sports events. It is the most effective way to tell people about all benefits of sport and make them to do at least one of them not only because it is helpful, but is also very popular nowadays. Many celebrities and world-famous people are engaged in advertising of sports facilities, setting an example to a huge number of people and making them lead active and healthy lifestyle. I decided to delve into this topic through the connection with mass media, find out more about one of the most uncommon for some people kind of sport, namely yachting, and tell something new about it because this one is really worth to pay attention to. Furthermore, my father is a professional yachtsman, that is why I am very interested in it since my childhood.