Volvo Ocean Race Team Brunel christened by TV host Humberto Tan

by Diana Bogaards on 2 Jun 2014 Dutch Radio and TV host Humberto Tan christened the Dutch Volvo Ocean 65 of Team Brunel. The event took place in front of the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam, in the presence of a large audience of employees, sponsors and supporters. The announcement of the new sponsor Robeco made this memorable day extra festive. At the beginning of December 2013, Team Brunel announced their participation in the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15.

Protected with gloves, sun glasses and the jacket of skipper Bouwe Bekking, Humberto Tan broke the bottle of Champagne against the bow of Team Brunel. The host of a popular daily evening show on Dutch television and a well-known sports business radio program did that amidst the sailing crew, skipper Bouwe Bekking, COO Volvo Ocean Race Tom Touber and even a couple of visitor's boats on the IJ.

'After the Netherlands were completely absent in the last Volvo Ocean Race, we are now full power present', said skipper Bouwe Bekking elated. 'Our project is alive and enjoys wide support, also from our new partner, investment company Robeco. That shows how much the Dutch business world likes the Volvo Ocean Race and our campaign. We have a great team, in which I have a lot of confidence. '

Gideon Messink, Director Sailing Holland, called it a 'special day'. 'On the one hand because of the baptism by Humberto, who gave us a stage from the very beginning. On the other hand, because of the welcoming of Robeco as latest sponsor. With their support, we have managed to get the whole campaign financially off the ground. When Brunel signed up as title sponsor, we knew we could go around the world, but on a tight budget. All the money went to the sailors and the boat.'

'Step by step we got where we wanted to be with the additional support of our new partners. Our finances aren't mega, but enough to be able to win. With the Volvo Ocean 65 it comes down to the people, so we have to make sure that the guys recover quickly in between the legs. Fortunately we can now properly focus on physical therapy, nutrition and shore crew. The way we built up our project was also possible due to the new One Design structure of the Volvo Ocean Race and the support of the organization. '

Robeco to sponsor Team Brunel:

Robeco is delighted to sponsor Team Brunel in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15. It marks the next stage of Robeco's journey to become the preferred choice for asset management among professional investors worldwide, and perfectly fits the round-the-world pioneering spirit that has long been embedded in Robeco's DNA.

Robeco's CEO, Roderick Munsters: 'Being a proud sponsor of Team Brunel will support Robeco's 2014-2018 strategy to accelerate growth in Europe, the US and Asia. I strongly believe that sponsoring Team Brunel will enable our company to increase rapport with clients all over the world. I look forward to a successful race and wish skipper Bouwe Bekking and his team a successful and safe journey.'

Dutch Promo Tour

Since the launch of the campaign, Team Brunel has followed an intensive training and selection period on Lanzarote. With the arrival in IJmuiden on Tuesday May 13, skipper Bouwe Bekking (NED) and his crew moored for the first time in Netherlands. Last week, Team Brunel made their racing debut in the offshore races of the annual North Sea Regatta.

The coming month, Team Brunel will go on a Promo Tour along the Dutch coastal cities to introduce themselves to their Dutch supporters. On June 10th, the national Team Sailing Holland School Program will be officially introduced in Vlissingen. Following their month in the Netherlands, Team Brunel will set sails for Denmark to participate in an offshore race in Copenhagen, after which they will return to their training base in Lanzarote.