Danish wind turbine company Vestas has been confirmed as the latest returning team sponsor for the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race sailing event.
The company has partnered with 11th Hour Racing to form the Vestas 11th Hour Racing team.
It marks only the second time in the race’s history, and the first since 1993-94, that three major team sponsors have returned for a second consecutive race. Vestas joins Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Spanish insurance group Mapfre as returning sponsors. Dutch paints and coating company AkzoNobel was announced as the first title sponsor of a team last July.
Vestas 11th Hour Racing will be led by the American duo of Charlie Enright and Mark Towill. The team will sail under Danish and American flags.
Vestas president and chief executive Anders Runevad said: “The Volvo Ocean Race is a proven platform for Vestas and a unique strategic fit to promote our new vision and market-leading energy solutions in our key markets and engage with customers.
“Our partnership with 11th Hour Racing sends a very strong signal with two leading players within sustainability combining forces to promote sustainable solutions within wind and water."
The 2017-18 race begins on October 22 in Alicante, Spain. The fleet will then travel to Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff and Gothenburg before finishing in The Hague. The fleet will also sail close to Dokk1 in Aarhus, Denmark on the final leg of the race.