SANYA STOPOVER PROVIDES GAC PINDAR’S TOUGHEST VOLVO OCEAN RACE LOGISTICS CHALLENGE SO FAR
Sanya – 5 February 2015 – The Sanya stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race provided GAC Pindar with the most complicated and time consuming logistics challenge of the race so far, bringing together multiple sectors of the GAC Pindar and GAC business network to ensure the whole operation was completed ahead of deadline.
GAC Pindar’s logistics operation to move the race village from Cape Town, South Africa to Sanya, China included the organisation and customs clearance of all cargo. Sanya’s location was core to the complexity of the challenge with planes, container ships, ferries, trucks and a specially chartered barge required to ensure that the Sanya race village was in place, ready to be successfully opened on schedule.
Due to the sheer size of the Volvo Ocean Race, 38, 739 nautical miles across five continents and eleven ports including a pit-stop in The Hague in just nine months, two identical race villages are required and will leapfrog each other across the globe. After departing Sanya the race village will head onto Itajaí in Brazil and then Lisbon, Portugal, the seventh stopover of the race.
Richard Mallen, Project Director GAC – Volvo Travel Teams explains: “The location of the Sanya stopover meant that the two container ships containing the race village could only go as far as Hong Kong. The only credible solution was to charter a barge to make the 60 hour trip down to Hainan Island on the southernmost tip of China. We then discovered that the 113 containers that make up the race village were not stacked together in Hong Kong port so we worked through the night to locate the cargo and load the barge.”
GAC Pindar – Sanya Volvo Ocean Race Logistics Challenges infographic
Hainan Island’s port is essentially a fishing village with limited berths to receive cargo and on arrival congestion delayed the unloading by 30 hours. In addition, Hainan Island imposed a truck ban between 6.30am and 9.30pm meaning that 16 trucks were required to shuttle back and forth over two nights to deliver the 113 containers to their final destination.
Mallen continues: “In addition to the barge we also managed air freight direct from the previous stopover in Abu Dhabi. Volvo cars and air freight boxes from each of the teams were flown into Hong Kong and Guangzhou airports then took another route to Sanya via truck and ferry.
“I’m proud to confirm that despite multiple challenges the bump in was completed ahead of schedule and the race village opened on time. The bump out starts on 8th February, the day the race departs. We have just five days to discharge the race village and connect with container ships in Da Nang, Vietnam that will take the 113 containers onto Itajaí in Brazil, the fifth Volvo Ocean Race stopover.”
The fourth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race will depart Sanya on Sunday 8th February. To keep up-to-date with all the action from the Volvo Ocean Race visit http://www.volvooceanrace.com
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About GAC Group
GAC is a global provider of integrated shipping, logistics and marine services. Emphasizing world-class performance, a long-term approach, innovation, ethics and a strong human touch, GAC delivers a flexible and value-adding portfolio to help customers achieve their strategic goals.
Established since 1956, GAC employs over 10, 000 people in more than 300 offices worldwide.
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About GAC Pindar
Launched in 2011, GAC Pindar is the go-to provider for marine and sport leisure logistics. GAC Pindar combines the global strength and resources of the GAC Group with the inside understanding of the yachting world, represented by the Team Pindar professional sailing team.
GAC Pindar is the official logistics provider for the Extreme Sailing Series and the Volvo Ocean Race.
GAC Pindar is also a familiar name on the international race circuit, frequently featuring in the winning line-up at premier sailing events.
