Seven boats confirmed for Volvo Ocean Race in Spain

Sport360 staff 17:07 08/09/2014
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  • More competitors next time: In future Volvo Ocean Races Frostad would like to have a few more boats.

    Volvo Ocean Race director Knut Frostad is satisfied with the seven boats that have confirmed their participation in the next edition of the race which starts in Alicante, Spain on October 4.

    "I am extremely satisfied with what we have," he told a telephone conference.

    "We have some solid teams with some strong characters and a mix of experience and youth."

    The seven-strong entry list is one more than the six boats that competed in 2011/12, the last time the race was held when Frenchman Franck Cammas.

    Frostad said that he had been working hard to have eight boats lined up to take the start in Alicante, but that time had been short and organisers had to settle for seven.

    "In the future we would like to have a few more boats – one two or three of them," he said.

    The new race will oppose identical single-hulled 20-metre long boats in a multi-stage, team race around the globe lasting up to nine months.

    This year's entries will see a Chinese team compete for the third time after Team Sanya (2011-12) and Green Dragon (2008-09)

    Backed by carmaker Dongfeng, the difference this time is that the Chinese team will have a significant number of Chinese in the race crew.

    Also competing for the first time since 2002 will be an all-female team under the banner of SCA, a Sweden-based manufacturer of hygiene products and Team Abu Dhabi.

    After start in Alicante, the race will visit Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya in China, Auckland, Itajai in Brazil, Newport in Rhode Island state, Lisbon, Lorient in France and finish in the Swedish port of Gothenburg.

    At 39,379 nautical miles (72,930 kilometres) it will be the longest race to date in an event which started in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race.

    The seven competing boats are: Team SCA (Sweden), Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (United Arab Emirates), Dongfeng Race Team (China-France), Team Brunel (Netherlands), Team Alvimedica (USA-Turkey), Team Campos (Spain) and Team Vestas Wind (Denmark).

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