The Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three or four years since 1973. Originally named the Whitbread Round the World Race after its initiating sponsor, British brewing company Whitbread, in 2001 it became the Volvo Ocean Race after Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo took up the sponsorship, and in 2019 it was renamed The Ocean Race.
World Sailing (WS) is the international sports governing body for sailing; it is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Speed sailing is the art of sailing a craft as fast as possible over a predetermined route, and having its overall or peak speed recorded and accredited by a regulatory body. The term usually refers to sailing on water, even though sailing on land and ice is progressively faster because of the lower friction involved. The World Sailing Speed Record Council is the body authorized by the World Sailing to confirm speed records of sailing craft on water.
Paul Pierre Cayard is an American yachtsman and professional sailor. He has competed at multiple world championship level sailing events, including the America's Cup, the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Volvo Ocean Race and the Olympic Games. In 1998 he was selected as the US Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year. He has won seven world championships, twice participated in the Olympic Games and seven times in the America's Cup. In 2011 he was elected into the US Sailing Hall of Fame.
The Volvo Open 70 is the former class of racing yachts designed for the Volvo Ocean Race. It was first used in the 2005–06 race.
Robert Scheidt is a Brazilian sailor who has won two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze from five Olympic Games and a Star Sailors League Final. He is one of the most successful sailors at Olympic Games and one of the most successful Brazilian Olympic athletes, being one of only two to earn five medals along with fellow sailor Torben Grael, and only behind the six medals of Rebeca Andrade. He is the only Brazilian sailor to win medals in both dinghy and keelboat classes.
Fernando Echávarri Erasun is a professional yachtsman in the Olympic Tornado class. Teaming with crew Antón Paz Blanco, he became the Spanish, European, World Champion, ISAF Sailor of the year in 2005, Olympic gold medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games held in Qingdao.
Marcelo Bastos Ferreria is a Brazilian sailor and Olympic champion. He received a gold medal in the Star Class at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta with Torben Grael. He received a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Iker Martínez de Lizarduy Lizarribar is a Basque Spanish sailor and olympic champion. Martínez de Lizarduy won a gold medal in the 49er class with Xabier Fernández at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The same pairing won the silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Isabel Marques Swan is a Brazilian sailor. She won a bronze medal in 470 class at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The 2008–09 Volvo Ocean Race was a yacht race held between 4 October 2008 and 27 June 2009, the tenth edition of the round the world Volvo Ocean Race.
Kenneth Read is an American yachtsman who is considered one of the world's most accomplished and celebrated sailors. He was named United States Rolex Yachtsman of the Year twice, and has won more than 50 world, North American, and national championships in a variety of classes, with eleven of those being World Championships titles in the J/24, Etchells 22 and yacht classes.
John Paul Kostecki is an American competitive sailor of Polish descent. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started his sailing career in the San Francisco Bay, California.
Horacio Carabelli is an international sailor and engineer.
Henrique "Kiko" Pellicano is a Brazilian sailor. He won the bronze medal in the Tornado Class at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta along with Lars Grael. Pellicano hails from a family of sailors, with his sister Márcia being a veteran of three Olympics who won a gold medal at the 1995 Pan American Games. He has competed in many long-distance sailing competitions, including the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 on the boat Brasil 1.
Ericsson 4 is a Volvo Open 70 yacht. She won the 2008–09 Volvo Ocean Race skippered by Torben Grael and with Horacio Carabelli, Jules Salter, Guy Salter, Brad Jackson, Stu Bannatyne, Dave Endean, Joao Signorini, Ryan Godfre, Phil Jameson and Tony Mutter as part of the crew. They broke the world record for the greatest distance travelled in 24 hours in a monohull yacht.
Martine Soffiatti Grael is a Brazilian sailor in the 49er FX class. Together with Kahena Kunze she won the 49er FX class at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships and at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Christopher John "Chris" Nicholson is an Australian sailor who has competed in multiple Summer Olympics and Volvo Ocean Races and has won six World championships.
Neal McDonald is a British sailor who has competed in seven Volvo Ocean Races.
team AkzoNobel is a Volvo Ocean 65 yacht. She was the only new yacht built for the 2017–18 Volvo Ocean Race.
Brazilian 
