Now For The Real Story Of The Race

For the first time, the real story of the Volvo Ocean Race should be told. The dedicated Media Crew Member on board each boat will be taking the 2008-09 event into a new sporting dimension by capturing the drama, the conflict and the daily challenges of sailing 37,000 miles around the world. Riath Al-Samarrai talks to two of them.

“Will I last the whole race?” repeats Rick Deppe. It’s the only question he is not sure how to answer. “I should say ‘of course’, but if these boats were easy to live on there would be no point paying someone to film people doing it.”

Ericsson 4’s Guy Salter, sitting adjacent to his PUMA equivalent at the Volvo Ocean Race’s HQ, agrees. “There are plenty of things that make you want to walk off a boat and not look back,” he says.

They both nod before Salter adds: “This job is simple and difficult for the same reason. On one hand, there’s a great story to be told about people living and working in extreme conditions, and that’s easy to film as there is almost constant hardship onboard. On the other hand, we have to live that life too!”

It’s one of a number of challenges posed to the Media Crew Members employed to shine an unprecedented amount of light on this sport.

“We have a stack of expensive cameras, computers and microphones that need to survive in an environment ideal for wrecking them,” Deppe explains. “That, and a whole lot of other stuff.”

In real terms, they will be living between two watch systems, trying to capture the hidden essence of what this event is about, while simultaneously staying sane. In cynical terms there is a thought they may be relegated to the chores others avoid. Rick wouldn't mind, though. "I think I'll enjoy as many distractions as possible," he says. In real terms they must shoot reactions which the sailors might want to keep hidden.

“I won’t be scared to catch the gritty stuff on camera,” Salter adds. “I’ve sailed with several of the guys, know them as mates, but I’m there in a different position and my job is to show viewers what life is like for the people sailing this race.”

An intriguing sub-plot awaits. Guy’s older brother Jules is the Ericsson 4 navigator, a position prone to criticism and scrutiny.

“You have to be careful not to alienate people on board,” Guy says. “But that is part of the skill. In any case, as you’ll see, these are tough blokes who don’t hold grudges!

“For me, this is a great chance to tell an amazing story about amazing people that hasn’t been told.”

For Deppe, it is a chance to add another chapter to a dazzling media CV. His story-telling experience is well documented after his producer credit on the Emmy-Award nominated Deadliest Catch programmes, but it is his sailing experience that is more necessary to this job.

He raced in the1993-94 Whitbread aboard Fortuna and in 1997-98 on Chessie Racing, when his yacht’s radar broke down with growlers on the path to San Sebastiao.

“This race, with these boats, you’d need a professional sailor to do this job. The amazing thing about this race is its difficulty.”

Salter concurs. “It would be too difficult to send a regular journalist out into that environment. It’s so dangerous, which is why we’re so keen to show it.”

His point is illustrated in his own background.

Six years ago Salter sat below deck on board Team Tyco while Jan Dekker sewed stitches into a gash above his eye after a 25-knot nose dive en route to Brazil.

Today the boats are faster and the route less known. “This could be the best ever edition of the race,” Deppe said. “It could also be a turning point where people learn what this sport is really all about.”

You can watch hours of race video at www.VolvoOceanRace.tv, the official Race TV channel for free!