AkzoNobel’s International brand has committed to help- ing young people all over the world learn more about sailing by becoming the official Youth Academy partner
for the forthcoming Volvo Ocean Race.
The Youth Academy aims to drive excitement and interest
around the race by encouraging more children to experience
and enjoy sailing and appreciate the value of winning together.
AkzoNobel’s involvement will also enable the company to connect and engage with communities along the race route.
For the more experienced young sailors, a series of races
in Optimist dinghies will take place at ten of the 12 scheduled
stopovers. Various workshops, training sessions and other activities will also be provided, such as educating and inspiring
people to tackle the problem of plastic in our oceans.
“Connecting with young people and possibly helping to nurture the next generation of Volvo Ocean Race sailors is an exciting opportunity and we are delighted that the Youth Academy
will be powered by International,” said Alberto Slikta, managing director of AkzoNobel Specialty Coatings.
“Building on team AkzoNobel’s participation in the next edi-
tion, it’s a unique chance for us to support young sailors across
the globe and broaden our involvement in the 2017-18 Volvo
Ocean Race by making a meaningful and lasting contribution.”
The Youth Academy events will take place in the follow-
ing cities: Alicante, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Cape Town, South
Africa; Hong Kong, China; Auckland, New Zealand; Itajaí,
Brazil; Newport, US; Cardiff, Wales; Gothenburg, Sweden and
The Hague, the Netherlands. The Optimist races will feature
eight competing teams, with each team in the main Volvo Ocean
Race being represented by a team in the Youth Academy.
Thousands of local youngsters were inspired, coached and en-
tertained by the Youth Academy during the last edition of the race.
International’s support will now enable the Volvo Ocean Race to con-
tinue its long-established commitment to youth sailing worldwide.
AkzoNobel’s International brand is a world leader in high
performance marine and yacht coatings, as well as industrial
protective coatings. The broad product range includes antifoul-
ings, foul release systems, fire protection coatings and above and
below the waterline yacht coatings and paints. CW
Volvo Ocean Race Youth Academy Powered
by AkzoNobel’s International Brand
