Simon Fisher: The Navigators’ Navigator

The B&G Navigators’ Prize for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 Prize is presented to the Navigator who has made the most effective use of meteorological, oceanographic and geographical information to gain distance on the majority of the fleet, as voted for by the Navigators themselves.

Each of the Navigators competing in the race has scored his or her fellow navigators from one to six points during each leg and the Navigator with the highest points score at the of each leg has been presented with a cheque for $1000 by B&G.

The overall winner at the end of the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race is the Navigator with the highest cumulative points score. His is, if you like, ‘The Navigators’ Navigator’.

The votes have been cast, the points have been counted and B&G is delighted to announce that Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher, Navigator for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has won the B&G Navigators’ Prize for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15.

Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 – Leg 9 to Gothenburg

SiFi and his team have two legs of the nine legs the race: Leg 1 from Alicante to Cape Town and Leg 5 from Auckland to Itajai. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has also won the race overall.

B&G spoke to SiFi this morning in Gothenburg to tell him our good news and to catch his mood today, now that the longed for race win has become a reality.

He told us ‘I’ve raced in four editions of the Volvo Ocean Race and this is my first win. I can’t really explain how it feels… it’s just…awesome. Obviously this is the first time we’ve raced in one-designs, the VO65s, and the racing really has been closer and better than ever before. The team has been brilliant; strong, skilled and focussed. We set out from the very start to sail consistently, conservatively even, if necessary, not always aiming for the Leg wins but with a firm plan and team objective to finish the race in Gothenburg at the top of the podium. And that is what we have done.’

He continued ‘We have raced this boat hard all the way around the world and we have had no major issues with the electronics or the instrumentation. I would like to pass my thanks to B&G and also to Diverse Yachts who installed the B&G systems on board the VO65s who have supported us from the moment we took delivery of the boat until the finish of the race. I would also like to thank B&G for supporting the Navigators by way of the B&G Navigators’ Prize for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15. It really is a great one to win. I’m delighted.’

Report provided by B&G.

Race website – Tracking – Scoreboard – Videos

Background: The 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race began in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 11, covering 38,739 nm on the way to the final In-Port Race on June 27 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Racing the new one design Volvo Ocean 65, seven teams scored points in 9 offshore legs to determine the overall Volvo Ocean Race winner. Additionally, the teams competed in 10 In-Port races at each stopover for a separate competition, the Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Series. Click here for recap.