"No-one can claim they've done this before!" That's the verdict of Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad as he takes us port by port through the full route of the 12th edition of sailing's premier round-the-world race. The 2014-15 route will take in 10 cities in nine countries -- Spain, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, United States, Portugal, France and Sweden -- and will require the teams to cover more than 40,000 nautical miles over nine months of racing. The world's toughest sailing race is back!

The latest in our behind-the-scenes series following the building of the Volvo Ocean 65s goes to New Zealand to catch up on the construction of the masts and booms. Rick's busy in the edit suite in Alicante this week so he calls in Volvo Ocean Race veteran Rob Salthouse to lend a helping hand and check out progress at the Southern Spars factory in Auckland. Former Camper MCM Hamish Hooper handled the film making.

Shoot, train, sail: just some of the things you need to do to become one of the Volvo Ocean Race Onboard Reporters. As Volvo Ocean Race CEO and former boat skipper Knut Frostad says, the OBRs are the war correspondents of the race, reporting from some of the toughest conditions on the planet. With the help of behind-the-scenes footage of the OBRs at work, reporter Pedro Freitas also tells us about the tough reality of the job.

The Volvo Ocean Race will return to Sanya's sparkling Serenity Marina in 2014-15, with the Chinese holiday destination once again confirmed on the race route after making a great impression on its debut in 2011-12. EMBED AVAILABLE FOR EDITORIAL USE

Lisbon will build on the success of the city's outstanding Volvo Ocean Race debut last year by hosting the race in each of the next two editions. Available to embed.

Abu Dhabi will return to the Volvo Ocean Race in 2014-15 with a team once again skippered by Britain's twice Olympic silver medalist Ian Walker and a stopover in the United Arab Emirates capital.

Rick concludes his European road-trip at Green Marine in Southampton, England. We're given a privileged sneak-peak of the full-scale wooden mock-up of the Volvo Ocean 65 which has been built there, in preparation for putting together the real thing for the 2014-15 race.

The Race is now launching the search for a world class line-up of Onboard Reporters for the next edition of sailing's premier offshore race, which will start in late 2014 and finish in mid-2015. If you think you've got what it takes, please send a cover letter and resume to reporters@volvooceanrace.com

Rick's at the half-way point of his Volvo Ocean 65 road-trip. Today he's at Multiplast in Vannes where they're making the decks and other critical internal components. Project leader JB Mouton shows him around the factory.

Euro-trotting Volvo Ocean Race reporter Rick Deppe makes a lighning stop visit to the Persico factory for the day. He sets up the timelapse camera, helps fit a frame into the boat and takes a technical tour with Chris Cochran from Farr Yacht Design before heading off to Multiplast! He's a busy guy!