Skipper Simeon Tienpont is set to sail into the Netherlands as team AkzoNobel begins the next phase of training for the Volvo Ocean Race.

With just under a year to go to the start in Alicante, Spain, Tienpont and his crew will be arriving in Scheveningen near The Hague – where the race is due to end in mid-2018. It will be the first opportunity for Dutch fans to meet the skipper since team AkzoNobel was launched in July.

“I’m looking forward to being back in the Netherlands,” said Tienpont. “A little over a year ago, I was sailing there with the ambition of entering the race with my own team. So arriving as the skipper of team AkzoNobel will make me feel extremely privileged and very proud.”

The team’s 65 foot boat (known as a VO65) is sailing to the Netherlands from Lisbon in Portugal, where training officially started in early November. The next few weeks will be spent continuing to assess potential crew members before the skipper and his team sail back to Lisbon in mid-December.

“It’s great to welcome Simeon and the team to the Netherlands because it’s a wonderful opportunity for all our Dutch supporters to join in the excitement,” said Conrad Keijzer, AkzoNobel’s Executive Committee member responsible for Performance Coatings. “Hopefully the team will visit more cities over the next few months and give people a chance to share in what promises to be an incredible journey.” 

The team is expected to arrive in the Netherlands on Monday, although it’s difficult to predict an exact time due to changing weather conditions. Updates will be provided on the social media channels for both the company and team AkzoNobel.

Due to visit 11 cities across five continents, the Volvo Ocean Race represents a unique opportunity for AkzoNobel to further build on its proud maritime heritage and showcase its products and expertise to a global audience.

Team AkzoNobel was the first to enter the next edition, while the Dongfeng Race Team has also announced its return. The race is due to start on October 22 next year.

For more information and to follow team AkzoNobel, visit www.teamAkzoNobel.com