Meet Dongfeng race team - Volvo Ocean Race · Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 but this is the case for Dongfeng ... This is a key element in setting the conditions for the Volvo Ocean Race

Meet Dongfeng race team

Expected time of arrival between: 9th - 17th December: Live broadcast, press conference, interviews

30th December: 1300 Dongfeng Race Team press conference

31st December: 1300 Practice Race & Pro-am (media spots available)

1st January: 1300 Pro-am 2 & 3 (media spots available)

2nd January: 1400 In-port race (media spots available)

3rd January: 1400 Leg Start (media spots available)

For more information please email: [email protected]

KEY dates

SO who are we?Well first of all we’re made in China… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqw48jd_2jU

“The two most important days in your life are the day you

are born and the day you find out why.”

― Mark Twain

DARE TO DREAM There are a few hundred professional sailing campaigns active worldwide at any given moment but none quite like Dongfeng Race Team. Not many sponsors and sailing management companies would take the risk of hand picking and training athletes from scratch for a campaign as important as the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 but this is the case for Dongfeng Trucks and OC Sport. These two companies, from different ends of the business spectrum, have come together to enter the world’s first Chinese team in the Volvo Ocean Race. For the first time ever, with the support of Aeolus Tyres and the City of Shiyan, there is a fully sponsored Chinese campaign.

Behind our team lies a long-term sporting mission. A mission to bring professional competitive offshore sailing to China and leave a legacy from, and for, the Volvo Ocean Race. Parallel to this is the aim of demonstrating the value of international sailing sponsorship platforms for Chinese companies as a way to help them go global, as well as western companies already more used to sports sponsorship, who have objectives in the Chinese market.

After launching a major recruitment campaign in November 2013 and holding two intense, non-stop selection trials, Dongfeng Race Team chose 12 Chinese athletes to join the Academy Squad. Over the last few months these sailors have put their hearts and souls into the programme and the final six have been selected to join the professional western sailors.

Such a bold ambition doesn’t come without challenges for everyone involved, especially the Chinese sailors who are experiencing the toughest journey of their lives.

We need your help to document our story to the world.

Like Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing we too have a long term sporting mission to bring offshore sailing to a nation…

OUR SPORTING MISSION

Our team has a strong commitment to a long-term sporting mission that puts the future interests of Chinese sailing at the core of Dongfeng Race Team project. For the 2014-15 edition the objective is to deliver a competitive campaign with, for the first time in the history of the race, multiple Chinese sailors in the final race squad. This is a key element in setting the conditions for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 when our aim is to have a campaign with the majority of the sailors onboard being Chinese and for the 2020-21 edition of the race, a 100% Chinese project with a Chinese

skipper and a Chinese crew. Within our team there is a strong momentum and belief in creating creating a legacy for Chinese offshore sailing so that sailors can excel in this discipline, in the same way the China’s Olympic sailors have done. We hope the Chinese nation will follow and the world will

embrace the Dongfeng Race Team story that is only just beginning…

The team is backed by Dongfeng Trucks, Aeolus Tyres and the Chinese City of Shiyan.

The dream is that by 2020-2021 there will be a 100% Chinese project with a Chinese skipper and Chinese crew

Fighting for a dreamhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGoddkoQHcU

We have trained our Chinese sailors relentlessly for 10 months

Fact: When one of our Chinese sailors (Horace) applied for his French visa the interviewer asked him to hold out his hands to be sure he wasn’t

lying about being an offshore sailor.

He wasn’t.

Next stopover? Abu dhabi…

So come and meet us! here’s what we can offer…

The Daily Interview slots

Each of our sailors have daily interview slots between 10:00-10:30am and 18:00-18:30pm. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to get in touch with our team, whether you’re on site in Abu Dhabi or not!

To arrange an interview please email [email protected] times exclude in-port race day (2nd January) and the start day (3rd January).

Meet the sailor of your choice for a one-to-

one interview

The Boat Tours

We don’t want to hog our Volvo Ocean 65 to ourselves so we’ve arranged boat tours for you to step onboard! These will take place when the boat is dockside and will allow you to have a unique insight into life onboard.

To request a boat tour please email [email protected]

Step inside life onboard

A Snapshot of TrainingSometimes sailing spots on the Volvo Ocean 65s are limited. Not all boats will be out at the same time during the race village opening but we can guarantee that there will be the opportunity to see some of our competitors out on the water too.

This is a great opportunity to see Dongfeng Race Team in action.

To request a viewing spot for training please email [email protected]

Although it’s rare some last minute sailing spots on the Volvo Ocean 65s can become available. If you would like to register for our reserve list please email [email protected]

THERE are some chances to sail on this boat

And Finally - We’re not

hiding - Come by our team base

and say hi!

CHECK US OUT

https://www.facebook.com/DongfengRaceTeam

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGCGBd7AyJsjPqok9W8e39Q http://sports.sohu.com/volvooceanrace/

http://www.weibo.com/teamdongfeng

http://i.youku.com/u/UMTMyMDA2MjEzMg

https://twitter.com/DongfengRacing

http://instagram.com/dongfengraceteam http://www.dongfengraceteam.cn/images/site/we-chat-qrcode.jpg

Or equally ask a member of our team for an accreditation badge and come and set up in our pavillion

COntact

Amy Monkman: [email protected]

Skype: ocs_amymonkmanU.K: +44 7964778757

Joanne Clarke:[email protected]

Skype: ocs_joanneclarkeU.K: +44 7833209112