Volvo Ocean Race to be broadcast in Canada on SportsNet

The Volvo Ocean Race’s flagship half-hour weekly show, Life at the Extreme, will round up all the action for 39 weeks from start to finish. The Canadian programming will be on SportsNet. Click here for schedule.

London-based production company Sunset+Vine, which previously produced race coverage in 2005-06 and 2008-09, will produce the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15.

“We are calling this race the human edition,” said Knut Frostad, Volvo Ocean Race CEO. “We want to highlight the emotional drama and adventures of sailing around the world at these speeds. What are the sailors thinking? What are they feeling? How are they interacting in the tight quarters of their 65-foot boats while living life at the extreme over nine months.”

Each team will feature a dedicated Onboard Reporter (OBR) – a trained muulti-media specialist – who will shoot, interview and send footage back to the race headquarters in Alicante, Spain daily via satellite. Footage will be weaved and edited together with sophisticated race graphics, weather data and tracking information to craft a dramatic 30-minute show every week.

“The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the greatest challenges in sport,” said Andrew Piller, Commercial Director for Sunset+Vine, host broadcaster and distribution partner. “From the world’s most dangerous seas to some of the remotest places on Earth, the seven cameras rigged on each boat, with their on-board reporters, will take viewers to the very heart of the action sharing the journey with race participants who will become our heroes.”

For the first time ever in the race, all teams will use a standard one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boat purpose-built for the race, allowing the boats to be designed around the needs of television and video.

“Our boats for this race have been built from the ground up to double as floating production houses with cameras, microphones, interview locations and editing facilities onboard,” said Frostad. “It’s a true reality series like you’ve never seen. Unlike other so-called reality shows, absolutely nothing is scripted in the race.”

Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/home.html