During the nine months of the 2011 -- 12 Volvo Ocean Race , which started in Alicante , Spain in October 2011 and concluded in Galway , Ireland , in July 2012 , the teams were scheduled to sail over of the world 's most treacherous seas via Cape Town , Abu Dhabi , Sanya , Auckland , around Cape Horn to Itajaí , Miami , Lisbon , and Lorient .
During the nine months of the 2011 -- 12 Volvo Ocean Race , which started in Alicante , Spain in October 2011 and finishes in Galway , Ireland , in July 2012 , the teams are scheduled to sail over 39,000 nmi of the world 's most treacherous seas , and include locations such as Cape Town , Abu Dhabi , Sanya , Auckland , around Cape Horn to Itajaí , Miami , Lisbon , and Lorient .