CHICAGO, Oct. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Team AkzoNobel
announced today that American under-30 sailor Rome Kirby has joined
the team for the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race which
starts from Alicante, Spain on
Sunday, October 22.
Kirby, 28, from Newport, Rhode
Island, won the 34th America's Cup in 2013 with
Oracle Team USA and last sailed
the Volvo Ocean Race in 2011-12 alongside team AkzoNobel skipper
Brad Jackson (NZL) on Puma Ocean
Racing, finishing third.
He will serve as a helmsman and sail trimmer for the team and is
the team's fifth under 30-selection, alongside boat captain
Nicolai Sehested, 27 (DEN), Martine
Grael, 26 (BRA), Brad Farrand, 28
(NZL) and 23 year-old Emily Nagel
(GBR/BER) – the youngest female sailor in the race.
Professional sailing is in Kirby's blood. His father
Jerry Kirby had a distinguished
career as a professional sailor in the America's Cup and the Volvo
Ocean Race, and the pair are believed to be the only father and son
to both win the America's Cup.
"I'm excited to be joining the team AkzoNobel crew and look
forward to setting out on another Volvo Ocean Race," Kirby said. "I
was delighted when the phone rang and it was Brad. We know each
other pretty well, so there wasn't much discussion to be had and
here I am."
"Rome ticks all the boxes as
far as a Volvo Ocean Race sailor is concerned," said Jackson. "He's
young and strong, but also knowledgeable about how tough this race
can be.
"His helming and trimming skills make him a real asset to the
team and despite joining us late in the program, with just two days
to the start, I'm confident he will hit the ground running."
In Alicante, team AkzoNobel will line up against six other
international teams at the start of Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race
2017-18 to Lisbon, Portugal.
The course for the 2,494-kilometer leg takes the fleet out of
the Mediterranean Sea via the Gibraltar Strait and around the
Portuguese island of Porto Santo, 43 kilometers north-east of
Madeira and is expected to take up to seven days to complete.
Kirby will get the opportunity to visit his hometown of
Newport when the Volvo Ocean Race
arrives there during the first week of May
2018 for a two-week stopover. He and the rest of the team
will have time to recover and will also participate in the
festivities planned for the Newport Race Village.
AkzoNobel creates everyday essentials to make people's lives
more livable and inspiring. As a leading global paints and coatings
company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, we supply
essential ingredients, essential protection and essential color to
industries and consumers worldwide. Backed by a pioneering
heritage, our innovative products and sustainable technologies are
designed to meet the growing demands of our fast-changing planet,
while making life easier. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we have
approximately 46,000 people in around 80 countries, while our
portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens,
International, Interpon and Eka. Consistently ranked as a leader in
sustainability, we are dedicated to energizing cities and
communities while creating a protected, colorful world where life
is improved by what we do.
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SOURCE AkzoNobel