Colour: the new white

A new appreciation of colour is helping to redefine Scandinavian design, with white, grey and black supplemented by bold colours. It’s all about individual expression, as the new Volvo XC40 proves.

Designer’s notebook: how I designed the XC40

The story behind the XC40’s bold, youthful exterior design, as told by its lead designer

The race to the horizon

The fascinating background and history of the Volvo Ocean Race have turned it into one of the best-known and toughest endurance races in the sporting calendar. For four and a half decades, participants have challenging themselves and each other as they sail its course. In this article, we will trace the race back to its beginning - and beyond, looking at the developments that shaped modern sea travel and made it possible in the first place. We trace the history of the race all the way back to the opening of the Panama and Suez canals, and then how - decades later - Robin Knox-Johnson became the first man to sail single-handedly round the planet. We then describe the foundation of the race in the 70s, and the developments that turned it into the event we know today - with its cutting-edge boats, teams of world champion sailors and non-stop coverage.