Volvo Ocean Race – Leg 7 Start schedule

Newport, RI (May 16, 2015) – After two fantastic weeks, it’s time for the Volvo Ocean Race teams to say farewell to the Newport Stopover as they continue the race with a final sprint across the Atlantic and up the European coast for the grand finale in Gothenburg. Below you will find Sunday’s departure schedule as well as the special onboard guests that will be jumping off the boats at the end of the start laps.

RACE SCHEDULE – (All local times EDT, UTC -4)
Sunday, May 17 – Leg start day
1200 · Departure Ceremony
1223 · National Anthem, city handover and blessing of fleet
1400 · Leg 7 Start to Lisbon – Live on Youtube and volvooceanrace.com

Special guests: Leg Start – jumpers

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Ryan Kwanten (or ‘Jason Stackhouse’ from series True Blood): Australian film actor and heartthrob. Kwanten first found fame playing Vinnie Patterson in the Australian soap opera, Home and Away, but is best known in the role of Jason Stackhouse from the smash hit HBO series True Blood.

Team Brunel
Ken Read: Former Volvo Ocean Race sailor and one of America’s most accomplished yachtsmen. Read skippered PUMA in the 2008-09 and 2011-12 edition of the race and was also onboard Ericsson during the last 4 legs in 2005-06. He is now the President of North Sails Group. Read will be commenting from onboard during the live Leg Start show, so make sure to tune in!

Team Alvimedica
Roy P. Disney: Roy and his father, the late Roy E. Disney, ran the Morning Light sailing program inviting 550 young sailors to try out for an offshore racing team to compete in the 2007 Transpacific Yacht Race. Team Alvimedica co-founders Charlie Enright and Mark Towill made the final squad and raced aboard the TP52 Morning Light in the Transpacific. Their endeavors were made into the feature length film Morning Light, released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2008. Afterwards Enright and Towill started their long journey to find a partner in Alvimedica to enter the 2014-2015 race. Today is the first time Roy has raced with Charlie and Mark since the Morning Light program.

Roy is an accomplished and passionate racing sailor having competed in the Transpac 22 times and in the 1995 America’s Cup. He will be racing in the Transpac later this year with Wild Oats. Roy is the grand nephew of Walt Disney and the grandson of Roy O. Disney, the founders of the Walt Disney Co.

Bob Metzen: Team Alvimedica is raising funds at each stopover to support local heart charities through the World Heart Health Charity Tour. In Newport they have raised $24,500 to benefit Lifespan (Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Newport Hospital) and the American Heart Association. In total they have raised over $70,000 to support children’s heart health around the world. Bob Metzen was the winner of the online auction for the Jump Seat. Him and his wife flew from Illinois to join the team here In Newport for the Leg 7 start.

Jim Gray: Sail Newport Auction winner.

Click here for crew list for Leg 7

Report by Event Media

Race website – Tracking – Scoreboard – Videos

Background: The 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race began in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 11 with the final finish on June 27 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Racing the new one design Volvo Ocean 65, seven teams will be scoring points in 9 offshore legs to determine the overall Volvo Ocean Race winner. Additionally, the teams will compete in 10 In-Port races at each stopover for a separate competition – the Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Series.