Volvo Ocean Race: Simeon Tienpont ousted by Team AkzoNobel

Alicante, Spain (October 13, 2017) – On the eve of competition for the Volvo Ocean Race, skipper Simeon Tienpont has left Team AkzoNobel after what the team said was a breach of contract.

AkzoNobel said it will still compete in the competition and will soon announce a new skipper. The team declined further comment.

Tienpont, from the Netherlands, was a two-time America’s Cup winner with Oracle Team USA.

Tienpont is not new to controversy after being implicated in the cheating scandal surrounding the team’s second victory in 2013 after he admitted altering one of the team’s AC45s used during the America’s Cup World Series.

Source: www.thenewstribune.com

Race details – Tracker – Race route – Facebook

The Volvo Ocean Race will start on October 22 from Alicante, Spain. The Alicante Race Village is scheduled to open on October 11 with the In-Port Race on Saturday, October 14.

2017-18 Edition: Entered Teams – Skippers
• Team AkzoNobel (NED), Simeon Tienpont (NED)
• Dongfeng Race Team (CHN), Charles Caudrelier (FRA)
• MAPFRE (ESP), Xabi Fernández (ESP)
• Vestas 11th Hour Racing (DEN/USA), Charlie Enright (USA)
• Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag (HKG), David Witt (AUS)
• Turn the Tide on Plastic (POR), Dee Caffari (GBR)
• Team Brunel (NED), Bouwe Bekking (NED)

Background: Racing the one design Volvo Ocean 65, the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race begins in Alicante, Spain on October 22 2017 with the final finish in The Hague, Netherlands on June 30 2018. In total, the 11-leg race will visit 12 cities in six continents: Alicante, Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff, Gothenburg, and The Hague. A maximum of eight teams will compete.