Science at the Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover

What do science, technology, engineering, math and ocean conservation have to do with the Volvo Ocean Race? Well, just about everything!

Sail Newport, Sailors for the Sea, and 11th Hour Racing worked together to host the Exploration Zone at the Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover in May. The US Sailing Reach program teaches STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education through sailing, and what better place to spotlight the connection than the Volvo Stopover?

Harken generously partnered with US Sailing for this event providing an interactive display where kids explore mechanical advantage through various purchase systems. The kids were then challenged to scour the stopover village on a simple machine scavenger hunt. One of their favorites is the 75mm winch on the Volvo 65s, a great example of a wheel and axle.

Class field trips, organized by schools from four states, sent a total of 2,780 students. Parents from across the country brought their kids to the stopover and the Exploration Zone. Nearly 10,000 youth explored 22 interactive exhibits. The Exploration Zone inspired visitors of all ages to learn more about the sport of sailing, the ocean, and to discover continents and cultures around the world through the lens of this amazing ocean race.

Thanks to Harken, Sail Newport, and Sailors for the Sea for all of their efforts in coordinating the Exploration Zone and to 11th Hour Racing and SCA for their sponsorship. The kids had a blast!

Learn more about Reach.