Next VOR
1. Team SCA: The all-female team, sponsored by Sweden-based forest products multinational group, was the first official entry of the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race. The team, headed by Richard Brisius, was officially presented on August 21st, 2012, and is currently holding its crew selection trials in their training base in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote.
2. Team Recife: The Brazilian team was the second official entry and was presented on January 17th, 2013. Very little is known about the team or its crew, other than it is backed by the city of Recife and the state of Pernambuco.
3. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing: The capital of the United Arab Emirates returns to the Volvo Ocean Race with a stopover and a team, skippered, once again, by British Olympic medallist Ian Walker. The entry was presented earlier today.
4. Alinghi: The two-time America’s Cup winners haven’t made their entry official yet but everything points to an official presentation in Geneva on March 2nd, a symbolic date that will mark the tenth anniversary of their first America’s Cup victory. On that date, Alinghi, skippered by Russell Coutts, scored their fifth and final win against Team New Zealand and claimed the America’s Cup. We have little information on Alinghi’s crew for the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race other than the fact that Brad Butterworth will be the skipper.
5. Ambersail / Lithuanian-Baltic Team: A Lithuanian-Baltic project, Ambersail, is said to have acquired the first VO65 boat. Ambersail is headed by Lithuanian skipper Simonas Steponavicius and currently owns the former Assa Abloy Volvo 60. According to various sources within the race and the teams, it seems Ambersail had the necessary budget to purchase the boat but not to run the project.
6. Team Campos / MAPFRE: Despite his initial criticism of the one-design VO65, Pedro Campos is eager to enter. Telefonica will not continue its sponsorship and his team is now called Team Campos / MAPFRE. It appears MAPFRE (a Spanish insurance group) will provide, at least, part of the necessary funding. The team is currently trying to break the Discovery Route record, with their rebranded VO70.
7. Dutch Team: This is probably one of the strongest and most plausible efforts, led by Team Heiner sailing events organization together with Dutch VOR veterans Gerd-Jan Poortman and Bouwe Bekking. They are aiming at a reasonable budget of 16 million euros but the tough European situation will surely not be in their favor.
8. Chinese Team: There is strong appetite for a Chinese entry and there are good indications it could become a reality but this time in the form of a real Chinese team, not just a foreign-led project with the usual one-two Chinese sailors to justify its name.
9. Indian Team: An Indian entry is also rumored to be planned but we don’t have any further information.
10. South African Team: There is talk of a serious effort to build a South African team, based out of Cape Town but it is difficult to see how they could get any local corporate funding with the absence of a South African stopover in this, and probably the next, edition of the race.
2. Team Recife: The Brazilian team was the second official entry and was presented on January 17th, 2013. Very little is known about the team or its crew, other than it is backed by the city of Recife and the state of Pernambuco.
3. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing: The capital of the United Arab Emirates returns to the Volvo Ocean Race with a stopover and a team, skippered, once again, by British Olympic medallist Ian Walker. The entry was presented earlier today.
4. Alinghi: The two-time America’s Cup winners haven’t made their entry official yet but everything points to an official presentation in Geneva on March 2nd, a symbolic date that will mark the tenth anniversary of their first America’s Cup victory. On that date, Alinghi, skippered by Russell Coutts, scored their fifth and final win against Team New Zealand and claimed the America’s Cup. We have little information on Alinghi’s crew for the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race other than the fact that Brad Butterworth will be the skipper.
5. Ambersail / Lithuanian-Baltic Team: A Lithuanian-Baltic project, Ambersail, is said to have acquired the first VO65 boat. Ambersail is headed by Lithuanian skipper Simonas Steponavicius and currently owns the former Assa Abloy Volvo 60. According to various sources within the race and the teams, it seems Ambersail had the necessary budget to purchase the boat but not to run the project.
6. Team Campos / MAPFRE: Despite his initial criticism of the one-design VO65, Pedro Campos is eager to enter. Telefonica will not continue its sponsorship and his team is now called Team Campos / MAPFRE. It appears MAPFRE (a Spanish insurance group) will provide, at least, part of the necessary funding. The team is currently trying to break the Discovery Route record, with their rebranded VO70.
7. Dutch Team: This is probably one of the strongest and most plausible efforts, led by Team Heiner sailing events organization together with Dutch VOR veterans Gerd-Jan Poortman and Bouwe Bekking. They are aiming at a reasonable budget of 16 million euros but the tough European situation will surely not be in their favor.
8. Chinese Team: There is strong appetite for a Chinese entry and there are good indications it could become a reality but this time in the form of a real Chinese team, not just a foreign-led project with the usual one-two Chinese sailors to justify its name.
9. Indian Team: An Indian entry is also rumored to be planned but we don’t have any further information.
10. South African Team: There is talk of a serious effort to build a South African team, based out of Cape Town but it is difficult to see how they could get any local corporate funding with the absence of a South African stopover in this, and probably the next, edition of the race.