Over 1500 applicants for Onboard Reporter slots - Volvo Ocean Race

The search for Onboard Reporters for the Volvo Ocean Race has been given a resounding response, with over 1,500 applications received in under 10 weeks. Here, project manager Rick Deppe gives an update on the process - and shares some advice.

How is the Onboard Reporter search progressing?
We’ve been stunned by the response. We've had around 1,500 applications already and it’s an incredibly diverse set of people sending in their cvs.

The levels of skill and experience from many of the candidates are off the charts and and the whole process is proving to be a fantastic window on the passion people have for the Volvo Ocean Race and how much they want to be involved.

The campaign was launched almost two months ago and I know many people will be wondering what has happened to their applications. Can you fill us in on the coming schedule?

I want to assure everyone that this is an ongoing process. We're still getting applications and we're delighted to be receiving them. The next step is to continue working through all of the many letters and cvs and to carefully weigh each person's skill sets and experience.

A big part of the process is to work with the teams to make sure we get the right match. The worst thing we could do would be to move too quickly and get this wrong as it's absolutely fundamental.

So as well as making sure we choose the best candidates out there to work with and carry on in the selection process, we must have an eye on where they will best fit. As more teams become more active, we'll see more progress.

You were an Onboard Reporter for PUMA in 2008-09 and you managed the project last time. What would be your advice to candidates?

We’ve listened to what the fans had to say and the fans have told us that they love seeing these great images of the power and the raw energy of the Volvo Ocean Race, but what they really want are stories. They want us to take them inside the Volvo Ocean Race and give them a real insight. They want to know what the crew are thinking, feeling, doing.

We're looking for people who can bring that vision to life and it's a very special sort of person who can do that from a Volvo Ocean 65.

My advice to all these applicants is to show us that you have that experience and skill in telling stories across a variety of media. If I was a potential OBR for this race, I’d be honing my storytelling skills. You don’t have to have a Volvo Ocean 65 and a full crew to tell stories – stories are everywhere all around us. Practise the craft of telling them!

Have any OBRs been found and appointed yet?
We haven’t got that far yet but we have spoken to a handful of people in a very, very preliminary way. There's nothing decided yet and while we are keen to start working with the OBRs as I said before we want to get the right candidates working with the right teams and then put everything in place, through training, orientation with the race, etc, to give them the best possible platform to tell the story as well as we can.

That process is inevitably going to take a bit of time, so if you haven't heard anything yet, please bear with us!