Twitter trivia

We figured that 2015 has been such an epic year that we'd end it with a bit of a fun quiz - a quick 12 questions to see how well you know the Volvo Ocean Race. The challenges went out on our Twitter - and received thousands of entries. The solutions are below - how did you score?

Question 1

1) The Volvo Ocean Race has a long and prestigious history. What edition was the 2014-15 Race?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: 12^th. Beginning life back in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race – this year saw the Volvo Ocean Race fleet battle out the twelfth iteration of this event. They say that life begins at 40, and whether that’s strictly true, one thing’s for sure: at just over 42 years old, the Volvo Ocean Race has never been in better shape.

Question 2

2) Cast your minds back: which team won the Alicante In-Port Race?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: Team Alvimedica. Ah, remember those hazy days of October 2014? As fresh-faced sailors jumped onboard their fresh and fragrant boats (um, not for long) to go bow to bow in the first official duel of the edition, it was Rhode Island’s Charlie Enright who led his crew – the youngest in the Race - to victory.

Question 3

3) What's the name of the famous mountain that the fleet raced in front of to begin Leg 2?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: Table Mountain. Come on guys, it’s basic geography - this one was easy. The Leg 2 restart, however, was anything but. Huge, boat-breaking winds and tower-high waves ravaged the fleet as they raced out of the South African capital city, Cape Town. It was one of the most memorable Volvo Ocean Race starts of all time. Exhilarating, exhausting, epic.

Question 4

4) Dongfeng Race Team finished fourth in their homecoming Leg 3 from Abu Dhabi to China?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: False. If you clicked true, then don’t expect a Christmas card from Caudrelier and co next year. In fact, the Chinese boat made history, winning the leg into Sanya in front of an adoring public, and helping to write the story of Chinese sailing as it went. A huge result for the red surprise packets, who captured the hearts of fans worldwide.

Question 5

5) 2014-15's winning skipper, @ADORlog's Ian Walker, has competed in the Volvo Ocean Race how many times?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: 3. Third time lucky? Well, it was for Ian Walker. Having first skippered Green Dragon, and then returned to the Race in 2011-12 leading Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, the British Olympian finally got his hands on the coveted trophy after leading an almost impeccable campaign this time around.

Question 6

6) The @team_sca Leg 8 win in Lorient made them the first all-female team to win a #VOR leg in how long?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: 25 years. Remember that sea of magenta on the dock in Lorient? The girls of Team SCA certainly do. And their rapturous reception was well-deserved. Sam Davies and her crew finally wronged the doubters with an epic finish in the penultimate leg of the 2014-15 edition, the first all-female crew since Tracy Edwards and Maiden to win a stage of this Race. Bravo, ladies!

Question 7

7) The Southern Ocean is notoriously tough. Which team was first to round the infamous Cape Horn during Leg 5?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: Team Alvimedica. The most unforgiving ocean on the planet, in the toughest race in the world – as first-time skipper Charlie Enright led his team around the notoriously dangerous Cape Horn at the bottom of the world, he not only achieved a childhood dream, but he did it in first place. And, typically of the laidback lad from Newport, he did it with a shrug and a smile.

Question 8

8) Roughly how many calories do the sailors burn onboard each day? Tip: it’s the same as 12 rump steaks!

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: 6,000. And yep, that’s a lot of steaks. All hypothetical, of course, because there are only two things certain in the Volvo Ocean Race… 1) if you take on this challenge, you’d better LOVE freeze-dried, and 2) trust us, there is no steak in sight. For weeks. Still fancy it?

Question 9

9) Which team won the epic Auckland In-Port Race, in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: Team SCA. As the fleet docked halfway around the world, there was time to catch breath – but not for long. With Cyclone Pam on the horizon, the boats set out for the Auckland In-Port Race knowing that conditions would be difficult to predict. But Team SCA made every call perfectly – leading the fleet underneath the famous Harbour Bridge and taking the honours, their second In-Port Race victory of the edition.

Question 10

10) In which stopover did @TeamVestasWind rejoin the race after an incredible comeback journey?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: Lisbon. And what a day it was, too. As the blue boat was lowered gently back into the warm Portuguese waters, that wasn’t the end of their story. The crew, led by Chris Nicholson, capped off an epic return in style with a second placed finish into Lorient days later. At that moment, Mauritius and Leg 2 seemed a million miles away.

Question 11

11) Which Dutch city gave @brunelsailing and the rest of the fleet an unforgettable welcome during Leg 8?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: The Hague, of course. And what a pit-stop it was, too. Thousands upon thousands of fans turned out to send our sailors some real Dutch love, and the city’s hospitality left a lasting impression. Short, but very, very sweet.

Question 12

12) How many nationalities made up @ADORlog's winning crew in total (throughout the 2014-15 edition, inc. OBR)?

— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) December 30, 2015

Answer: 8. Put the calculator away – here is the maths. You’ve got Ian Walker, Simon Fisher, Neal MacDonald, Alex Higby (GBR), Justin Slattery (IRE), Phil Harmer (AUS), Daryl Wislang (NZL), Chuny (ESP), Louis Sinclair (ANT), Adil Khalid (UAE) and of course, trusted Onboard Reporter, Matt (USA).

So there you have it - thanks for the entries, thanks for your support this year, and have an unforgettable new year, with best wishes from all at the Volvo Ocean Race!