On Tuesday, May 15 at 4 p.m. in Wolfson Room 2055, the media crew behind this year’s Volvo Ocean Race is speaking in a panel moderated by Chris McLaughlin, the Vice President of External Affairs for Inmarsat satellite technology, at the University of Miami School of Communication. They are discussing their experiences filming the competition as well as the innovative Inmarsat satellite technology used. Students will get the chance to ask questions and attend a reception after the discussion. This is a must for communication students interested in working in the sports industry. The event is free and open to the public. 

The Volvo Ocean Race brings together multiple sailing teams to compete against each other by racing a Volvo Open 70 class of yachts. There is one Media Crew Member for each team tasked with the challenge of filming and editing every moment of the race. They also take photos and audio clips and blog about the team’s day-to-day activities and hardships. It can be a grueling job when dealing with time zone changes and harsh weather conditions, but is a great experience for thrill seekers.

The 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race lasts from October to July and travels to 10 countries: Spain, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, Brazil, the United States, France, and Ireland. This year, the Sunshine State is playing host to the U.S. leg of the race. The fleet is in Downtown Miami from May 6-20 at Bicentennial Park. Leading up to the race, there are activities including sailing and paddleboard lessons, musical performances, parties hosted by the sponsors, and beach cleanups. The official race days are Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19. Attendance is free and open to the public.

On Friday May 18th, there will be a Pro-Am race in Miami harbor. There will be a raffle for a seat on one of the boats during the race. Second and third prizes will be $100 and $50 vouchers for PUMA or CAMPER merchandise at the race village.

The panel members are:

Chris McLaughlin – moderator, VP of External Affairs for Inmarsat

Rick Deppe – Media Crew Member for PUMA Ocean Racing (United States)

Andres Soriano – Media Crew Member for Team Sanya (China)

Nick Dana – Media Crew Member for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (United Arab Emirates)

Hamish Hooper – Media Crew Member for CAMPER (New Zealand)

To RSVP to the event, call (305)-284-5211 or email visual journalism professor Michelle Seelig at mseelig@miami.edu by Friday, May 11. 

For more information on the Miami leg of the race, visit http://volvooceanracemiami.org/the-village-venue.  

For more information on the responsibilities of the media crew, visit http://volvo.inmarsat.com/media-crew/media-crew-home.html?language=EN&textonly=False