Riwal appointed official supplier of Volvo Ocean Race

Riwal, the aerial work platform and telehandler rental and sales specialist, will be an Official Supplier of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-2018, a race around the world for professional sailors, commonly regarded as the world’s longest and toughest sporting event.

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As an Official Supplier, Riwal will provide scissor lifts and vertical masts to support the competing teams to make it to the finish line. During the 12 race stopovers at Host Cities around the world, the Volvo Ocean 65 boats are hauled out of the water and the Riwal machines will be used to perform a variety of maintenance tasks at height, both safely and efficiently. The equipment is already being used at the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard in Lisbon, Portugal, supporting the refit program of the boats, preceding the start of the race in October 2017. During the race, the aerial work platforms will travel along with the race teams in shipping containers, to ensure maximum availability and uptime for the race teams. In addition to the equipment, Riwal will provide training as well as technical support, by local Riwal teams and partners.

Norty Turner, Riwal’s CEO, comments: “We are ecstatic to be an Official Supplier for the Volvo Ocean Race. Our vision is to deliver the best customer experience in over 60 countries in which we conduct commercial activities. Helping each race team, who are working so hard to excel in a race that is truly global, to make sure their boats are in top condition exemplifies who we are. It is a great example of our ability to provide solutions to customers operating on an international scale.”

Nick Bice, Director of Boats and Maintenance at Volvo Ocean Race adds: “At Volvo Ocean Race we are working more closely than ever with industry leaders such as Riwal, to maintain the boats at the highest level. Local availability and reliability of aerial work platforms have been a challenge in previous editions, so we are delighted to team up with Riwal, to ensure the quality and support for all of the race teams in preparing the boats throughout the race.”

The Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 will be contested over the longest distance in race history at around 45,000 nautical miles, crossing four oceans and taking in 12 major cities on six continents.