Groupama’s Yann Riou scoops Leg 2 Media Crew Member award

12 Jan 2012

Groupama’s Yann Riou scoops Leg 2 Media Crew Member award

Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/Volvo Ocean Race

Groupama sailing team’s Yann Riou has won the second Inmarsat Media Crew Member Award for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 in recognition of his stunning on board media output during the second leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi.

Charles Caudrelier onboard Groupama Sailing Team during leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa.

Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing…

Rupert Pearce, CEO Inmarsat presents Groupama Sailing Team Media Crew Member Yann Riou from france with the Inmarsat Media Crew Member Award for leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.

PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race

Click to play Leg 2 Inmarsat Media Crew…

Groupama Sailing Team during leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Cape Town, South Africa to Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing…

Skipper Franck Cammas takes a phone interview. Groupama Sailing Team during leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa.

Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/

Off watch onboard Groupama Sailing Team during leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa.

Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/

"When we're on the water, I don't think about winning an award, it just comes naturally or not” Yann Riou - MCM, Groupama sailing team

Riou was chosen by a panel of judges from the race’s communications team led by director Jon Bramley and Inmarsat’s vice-president for external affairs, Chris McLaughlin, from a shortlist which also included Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Nick Dana, and Hamish Hooper of CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand who won the first leg award.

McLaughlin said: “Once again it has been such a tough choice for us to pick a winner. The standard this edition has noticeably jumped from the previous race in 2008-09 and I thought the content in Leg 2 was even more compelling than Leg 1.

Bramley added: “All six of our Media Crew Members (MCMs) are very talented individuals and without them we simply could not convey the drama of the best sailing event in the world.

Riou, who was presented with the award last night by Inmarsat CEO, Rupert Pearce at the Leg 2 prizegiving gala dinner in Abu Dhabi, confessed to being surprised to be chosen. “I was not expecting it and I was surprised to receive it,” he said.

“I think the jury noted in particular, the regularity and quantity of the work provided during this leg. But when we're on the water, I don't think about winning an award, it just comes naturally or not.”

Volvo Ocean Race partner Inmarsat provide the highly sophisticated satellite tracking technology which allows all the MCM’s content to be transmitted from the boats at high speed to race HQ in Alicante and then on to the world’s media.

Inmarsat also sponsor the MCM Award of 1,000 Euro ($1,358) on each leg of the race, as well as the 10,000 Euro ($13,585) prize for the best overall contribution to the race coverage.