The Volvo Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three years. It is named after its current owner, Volvo.

Though the route is changed to accommodate various ports of call, the race typically departs Europe in September or October, and in recent years has had either 9 or 10 legs, with in-port races at many of the stopover cities. The current race started in Alicante, Spain, on October 11, 2008. The route for the 2008-2009 race has been altered from previous years to include stopovers in the Middle East and Asia for the first time.