Volvo Ocean Race officials hoping for two more entries

Round-the-world sailing race has five confirmed entries, including the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (ADOR) entry, Azzam, but hopes for a sixth entrant were dashed when Emirates Team New Zealand pulled out, writes Osman Samiuddin.

Emirates Team New Zealand were aboard Camper in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race but the crew will not be back this year leaving the fleet with just five boats. Paul Todd / AP Photo

Officials of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) are confident that this year's race will see at least the same number of entries, if not more, than the 2011/12 version.

The around-the-world race has five confirmed entries, including the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (ADOR) entry, Azzam, but hopes for a sixth entrant were dashed over the weekend when Emirates Team New Zealand, who sailed as Camper in the last race, announced they would not be taking part.

“In recent weeks, the team had explored a joint challenge with Spanish interests,” a statement from the team said. “CEO Grant Dalton said the team was not convinced it could mount a successful challenge in the time available and the team’s energies would be better directed towards the next America’s Cup.

“In the end, time was against us. Every passing day magnified the impact that preparations for a around-the-world race would have on Emirates Team New Zealand’s other operations.”

That means there are still two spots to fill as organisers hope to have seven entrants on board this year. Though there is a loose deadline of June 30 for entries, race rules allow for an extension.

Negotiations with Emirates Team NZ had been going for a while but, despite their decision, VOR officials remain upbeat that two more entries will be found. Discussions are believed to be continuing with other potential entrants.

“We are confident that we’re going to get there with the final two boats,” VOR’s director media Jon Bramley said.

“There is room for two more and we would expect to make those announcements in the next couple of months. We’re pretty hopeful there would be two more.”

If no more entries come in, it would be the lowest participation in the leading race of its kind. The peak years during the 1980s and 1990s, when the race was known as the Whitbread Round the World Race, have long gone. In 1981/82, for instance, there were 29 entries and 23 in 1989/90.

But those were also the days of just four legs. This year’s race constitutes nine legs and takes in 11 ports across nearly 39,000 nautical miles. The last time the race had 10 or more entries was in 1997/98. Since then they have mostly alternated between seven and eight entries, though they had six in the last race.

Team NZ’s withdrawal also means ADOR’s Azzam is the only repeat entry from the 2011/12 race, though the field, Bramley said, is exciting in its variety.

Team Alvimedica, which has Turkish backing, has actively recruited a young crew, all in their 20s and skippered by 29-year-old American Charlie Enright.

Much of the attention will also focus on Team SCA, the first all-female entry “we’ve had in 13 years, since 2001/02”, Bramley said.

Officials are also excited by Team Dongfeng, a Chinese project skippered by renowned French sailor Charles Caudrelier.

“For the first time it is a truly Chinese campaign,” Bramley said. “The ambition is to have four people on board who are Chinese. Before we’ve had only one, so they’re building a legacy there.”

The other entry is Team Brunel, a strong Dutch team.

“Azzam is the only one from last time,” Bramley said. “A lot of the teams do one-race deals. Abu Dhabi wanted to do two, which ties in with us going to Abu Dhabi.

“We are super happy to be going there again. It was a superb stopover last time round and we think it will be even better this time.

“By the summer, by the end of June, we should have the teams, we should have the whole fleet.”

Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE