October 11, 2005, Portsmouth, UK – Leading independent sports producer Sunset + Vine has signed a deal with ITV to provide coverage of the Volvo Ocean Race. Sunset+Vine, part of The Television Corporation, will produce 32 weekly half hour programmes for ITV4 and eight one-hour long programmes for ITV1.
John Leach, Managing Director of Sunset+Vine said “Our Volvo Ocean Race coverage for ITV and the rest of the world will present sailing in a new light. State of the art equipment will record the crews’ adventures, relationships with each other in the confined space aboard the boats, and their battles to overcome the extreme conditions. We want to make the sport much more accessible to a wider viewing public in the same way that we transformed the way cricket has been covered.”
Mark Sharman, ITV Controller of Sport said: “With over eight months of racing in the world’s most treacherous seas, the Volvo Ocean Race provides a terrific adventure story for ITV viewers to follow. Using the latest technological innovations, Sunset + Vine’s production will ensure viewers get closer to the action than ever before.”
The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the world’s premier sporting events, and one of the harshest sports challenges. Starting in Galicia, Spain in November, the crews spend a grueling seven months battling severe weather and each other in demanding conditions, taking in Cape Town, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and New York before finishing next June in Gothenburg. The yachts are scheduled to arrive in Portsmouth in May next year.
With 10 cameras onboard each boat, linked by satellite to a purpose built studio and editing facility at race headquarters just outside Portsmouth in the UK, Sunset+Vine’s coverage will show key moments of the battle between the world’s top professional sailors and the worst that the oceans can throw at them.
For further media information, please contact: Mark Ogle
The Television Corporation Tel: +44 (0) 20 7258 6746
email: mogle@tvcorp.co.uk
Accreditation and future media information:
Future press information on the Volvo Ocean Race will only be available if you have registered online at
https://accreditation.volvooceanrace.org/.
You can also register here for port accreditation.
For additional media information on the Volvo Ocean Race, please contact:
Cameron Kelleher PR Director in Galicia on:
Mob: +34 6699 73736
email: Cameron.kelleher@volvooceanrace.org
Lizzie Green Press Officer at race headquarters:
Tel: +44 1489 554 832, Mob: +44 7801 185 320
email: lizzie.green@volvooceanrace.org
Sacha Oswald Press Officer in Galicia:
Mob: +34 6699 73502
email: sacha.oswald@volvooceanrace.org
Images
Royalty free images for editorial use are available from the Image Archive at http://media.vemuk.com/. For assistance, please contact:
Patrick Anderson, Picture Desk Manager
Tel: +44 1489 554867 Mob: +44 777 55 33 956
Email: patrick.anderson@volvooceanrace.org
Radio
Radio stations please contact Guy Swindells (Radio Producer) Tel: + 441489 554 859 Mob: +44 7710 295 995,
email: guy.swindells@volvooceanrace.org
The Volvo Ocean Race
– The Volvo Ocean Race will start with an in port race in Sanxenxo, Galicia, on November 5, 2005. The start of leg one, the first offshore leg, will be from Vigo, Galicia, on November 12, 2005.
– The Volvo Ocean Race is a round the world yacht race featuring nine offshore legs, over 31,250 nautical miles. The 2005-06 event will feature an inshore race at each of the main stopover ports.
– Four teams from the last race measured the media value of their exposure. The results showed an average of US$50 million, which equates to a 200-300% return on their sponsorship investment.
– The Volvo Ocean Race 2001-02 achieved a cumulative audience of over 800 million viewers ranking it among the top international sporting events.
Further information can be found at http://www.volvooceanrace.org/.