Parte oggi alle 14,00 ora locale da Alicante la prima tappa della Volvo Ocean Race, il giro del mondo per equipaggi a bordo dei monoscafi di 70 piedi (ex Whitbread Round the World Race).

Gli 8 equipaggi al via della celebre regata dovranno navigare per circa 6.500 miglia alla volta di Città del Capo, con un percorso che prevede un passaggio obbligato dall'arcipelago brasiliano di Fernando de Noronha.

La circumnavigazione del globo sarà compiuta in 10 tappe e sono previste anche 7 "In-Port Race", tra le quali la prima si è svolta nella città spagnola sabato scorso.

L'arrivo, a San Pietroburgo, è previsto per fine giugno 2009.

Queste le 8 barche in gara e gli equipaggi:

ERICSSON 4 - Racing Team International -(www.ericssonracingteam.com)

1. Torben Grael BRA - skipper

2. Jules Salter GBR- navigator

3. Brad Jackson NZL

4. Stu Bannatyne NZL

5. Horacio Carabelli BRA

6. Tony Mutter NZL

7. Joca Signorini BRA

8. Ryan Godfrey AUS

9. Phil Jameson NZL

10. Dave Endean NZL

11. Joe Spooner NZL

12. Brian McInnes CAN

13. Guy Salter GBR (media crew member)

ERICSSON 3 - Racing Team Nordic - (www.ericssonracingteam.com)

1. Anders Lewander SWE– skipper

2. Aksel Magdahl NOR – navigator

3. Thomas Johansson FIN

4. Rasmus Köstner DEN

5. Richard Mason NZL

6. Stefan Myralf DEN

7. Magnus Olsson SWE

8. Martin Strömberg SWE

9. Jann Neergaard DEN

10. Jens Dolmer DEN

11. Anders Dahlsjö SWE

12. Martin Krite SWE

13. Gustav Morin SWE (media crew member)

PUMA RACING TEAM (pumaoceanracing.com)

1. Ken Read USA - skipper

2. Andrew Cape AUS - navigator

3. Michael "Michi" Müller GER

4. Rob Salthouse, NZL

5. Casey Smith AUS

6. Jerry Kirby USA

7. Jonathan McKee USA

8. Justin Ferris NZL

9. Sidney Gavignet FRA

10. Chris Nicholson AUS

11. Andrew Taylor NZL

12. Shannon Falcone ANT

13. Rick Deppe USA (media crew member)

TELEFONICA BLUE RACING TEAM (www.equipotelefonica.es)

1. Bouwe Bekking DEN – skipper

2. Iker Martinez ESP – co-skipper

3. Simon Fisher GBR - navigator

4. Pepe Ribes ESP

5. Jonathan Swain RSA

6. Xabier Fernandez ESP

7. Jordi Calafat ESP

8. Laurent Pages FRA

9. Pablo Arrarte ESP

10. Daryl Wislang NZL

11. Carlo Castellano ITA

12. Federico Giovanelli ITA

13. Gabriele Olivo ITA (media crew member)

TELEFONICA BLACK RACING TEAM (www.equipotelefonica.es)

1. Fernando Echavarri ESP - skipper

2. Roger Nilson SWE - navigator

3. Jaime Arbones ESP

4. Maciel ‘Cicho’ Cicchetti ARG

5. Pablo Iglesias ESP

6. Antonio “Ñeti” Cuervas-Mons ESP

7. Javier de la Plaza ESP

8. Mike Pammenter RSA

9. David Vera ESP

10. Francisco ‘Pachi’ Rivero

11. Pedro Campos ESP

12. Jorge Ondo ESP

13. Mikel Pasabant ESP (media crew member)

TEAM RUSSIA (www.teamrussia.org)

1. Andreas Hanakamp AUT - skipper

2. Wouter Verbraak NDL - navigator

3. Guillermo Atadil ESP

4. Stig Westergaard DEN

5. Jochen Wolfram GER

6. Rodion Luka UKR

7. Pedro Mas ESP

8. Oleg Zherebtsov RUS

9. Nick Bubb UK

10. Ben Costello NZL

11. Jeremy Elliott IRL

12. Cameron Wills RSA

13. Mark Covell UK (media crew member)

GREEN DRAGON RACING TEAM (www.greendragonracing.com)

1. Ian Walker GBR – skipper

2. Ian Moore GBR- navigator

3. Damian Foxall IRL

4. Neal McDonald GBR

5. Anthony Merrington AUS

6. Phil Harmer AUS

7. Tom Braidwood AUS

8. Julien Crescent FRA

9. David Carr GBR

10. Freddie Shanks GBR

11. Justin Slattery IRL

12. Andrew McLean NZL

13. Guo Chuan CHI (media crew member)

DELTA LLOYD

1. Ger O’Rourke IRL, skipper

2. Matthew Gregory USA

3. Stu Wilson NZL

4. Stuart Molloy NZL

5. Gerd-Jan Poortman NED

6. Ed van Lierde NED

7. Bert Schandevyl BEL

8. Edwin O’Connor IRL

9. Martin Watts GBR

10. Ryan Houston NZL

11. Sebastian Col FRA

12. Mark Tighe IRL

13. Sander Pluijm NED - (media crew member)