At the moment, several of the teams are taking part in the Fastnet Race of the coast of Southern England where both ships and crews are being put through their paces. From there, they'll head to St. Malo, France and Libon, Portugal to take part in two other events that will serve as tune-ups to the big show. After that, the sailing world will turn its eyes to Alicante, Spain, where the Volvo Ocean Race will get underway on October 22.
For those not familiar with this event, it is a round-the-world sailing competition that sends ships and crew off on one of the most difficult tests of stamina imaginable. They'll spend weeks at sea racing from one checkpoint to the next. This year's race is expected to cover some 40,000 nautical miles, as it visits six different continents, and 11 ports along the route. The teams will set off from Alicante and finish in The Hague, with an expected finish in late June of 2018.
At the moment there are seven ships entered into the competition, which promises to be the most hotly contested in recent memory. You can learn more about those racing vessels and their crews by visiting the race's official website. You'll also discover information about the route, the rules of the competition, and the history of the event.
With a little more than two months to go until the race officially gets underway, things are starting to get very interesting. It should be an amazing event to follow.