VOR Throwback
To celebrate the Volvo Ocean Race's 40th anniversary, race organizers asked fans to share photos on their Facebook page. Anders Odelberg, who competed on Swedish Entry in 1981-'82 edition, shared the winning photo: his crew, Willy von Koskull coated in ice in the Southern Ocean.
Here's what Odelberg says in an interview about the photo on the VOR website: Tell me about you and your team. "We were indeed a Swedish team but we only got halfway! The project went bankrupt in New Zealand so we sailed only half the race. "We were as professional as one could get then. A Swedish company sponsored us but none of them were professional sailors. Peter Norlin designed the boat for the race and we, the crew, built it in Sweden." Who is the frozen crewmember and how did you get that cold? "I took it on the leg from South Africa to New Zealand. On that leg, we went too far south to the 60th parallel. I think we went as far as the 61st south parallel, hence the ice! There were a lot of icebergs too. The ice on his face isn't snow though; it's the ocean spray being frozen. "The crew on the picture was Willy von Koskull, a Finnish guy. He was in his fifties when we did the race. Everybody was doing everything on board but he did drive a lot – you could call him a helmsman! Unfortunately he passed away five or six years ago." It looks so cold and your equipment must have been pretty basic! "It was cold for a while but we did dress accordingly. You know, it was not that long ago! We had fleeces and jackets. Sure, we didn't have any of the breathable weather gear available nowadays. That was the main difference. "But at the same time the boats were heavier and slower, we didn't have the water pressure on us. Today it's like being on a fire hose all the time!" How many pictures did you take during the race? "I have LOTS of pictures! I don't know how many. I had two cameras with me at the time, one of them was a Nikon diving camera and the other was a Canon. I don't remember exactly when and how I took the photo but judging by the weather I must have been using the diving one!" The VOR is running a photo exhibition at the Volvo Ocean Race Museum in Alicante, Spain, from June 14 until Feb 28, 2014. There, 40 images to tell the story of a race that began as the Whitbread on September 8, 1973.Anders Odelberg
The Swedish Entry sailing past an iceberg in the Whitbread 1981-82 during the leg from South Africa to New Zealand. Note the furry jacket...Anders Odelberg
A Whitbread for the Whitbread men - crew on the Swedish Entry enjoying a can of the sponsor's product in the 1981-'82 race.Anders Odelberg
Now this is freezing! The Swedish Entry sailing in proper cold conditions in the Whitbread 1981-82 during the leg from South Africa to New Zealand.Anders Odelberg
1973-'74 WhitbreadBob Fisher/PPL
1977-'78 Whitbread Round the World Race: Kings LegendBob Fisher/PPL
Casey Smith on il mostro during the 2008-'09 Volvo Ocean Race.Rick Deppe/puma Ocean Racing/volvo Ocean Race
Onboard medic Tony Rae administers three stitches and anaesthetic to CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand bowman Mike Pammenter from South Africa, after he suffered a broken tooth and gash to the face in a fall during a sail change on Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-'12, from Alicante to Cape Town. Click here to read more about the entries on the VOR website.Hamish Hooper/CAMPER ETNZ/Volvo