In the 2005-06 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, ABN AMRO ONE, fondly named "Black Betty" secured her position as event winner a full two legs prior to its conclusion and now returns to her Dutch roots for an encore. However, it was an Irishman, Ger O'Rouke, who rescued her from retirement and his own team who gave "Betty" a re-fit suitable for a second go-around.
Working Together To Grow The Sport Of Sailing
Ger O'Rouke, CEO of Chieftain Group, an Ireland-based provider of industrial and engineering support service has a lengthy career in sailing under Chieftain Racing. During the team's four year campaign, won 90% of the races they participated in. In 2007, Ger and his team were the only ones to successfully beat ABN AMRO ONE during Antigua Race Week.
After a proper celebration of the team's success Ger inquired of then skipper, Mike Sanderson if he might have a closer look of "Black Betty" and even thought,"...the next boat might be a V70, but looking at Mike's crew, I also realised I probably wouldn't be able to afford it." A fully professional sailing team is the same as a fully employed small business.
Dutch Save The Day And Begin a Legacy
May of 2008, Ger learned that "Black Betty", then owned by Team Ericsson as a training boat, was for sale. One does not just buy a V70, though by coincidence, Ger had sold his last boat and was in a position to afford the old girl. Furthermore, doing the Volvo Ocean Race had been a dream of Ger's. Actually doing the race came down to the eleventh hour and was a direct result of her prior performance under Dutch support and the hard work of Chieftain Racing Team who "...sometimes worked up to ten hours a day, seven days a week to get the job done," adds Ger.
Delta Lloyd had a shared history with the boat and the race. The experience was extremely positive and their hope is to build on the foundation the success of ABN AMRO ONE had in 2005-06 to address three key objectives:
- Ensuring the continued development of offshore sailors in the Netherlands.
- Serving as a platform for the Dutch corporate sector in order to ensure the continuity of offshore sailing.
- Offering Olympic sailors the opportunity to participate in the future, i.e. cross-pollination of talent.
Village Banking and Global Race
Sharing a similar goal as the Russian entry, Ger O'Rourke would like for his team to sail with a purpose other than racing a boat. These sailors are not only hoping to build a foundation for the sport's future to grow on, but to help developing countries create jobs, build capital and raise the standard of living. This is done through Village Banking, an international microfinance institution.
One can learn more about Team Delta Lloyd by visiting the team site. Though not currently in English, it provides great photos. Further information can be found through the event's coverage.
Jennifer Langille - Jennifer had a career in research and development (Pfizer, Inc.) prior to stepping away from the corporate rat race to pursue a career in ...
