Final race

ABN AMRO One to compete in Gotland Runt before being handed over to Ericsson

ABN AMRO One, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006, will today bid a final goodbye to her homeland. After an action packed fortnight in Den Helder (NED), the Dutch Volvo Open 70 will set sail for Stockholm, Sweden. She will compete in one final regatta, the Eurocard Round Gotland Race, before being handed over to the Ericsson Racing Team who will use her as a training boat for the next Volvo Ocean Race.

ABN AMRO ONE arrived in Den Helder on 29 May after concluding the Caribbean Big Boat Series with a victorious win at Antigua Sailing Week. The boat has since been on display for hundreds of adoring fans to marvel at. Over 400 guests have had the rare opportunity to sail on ABN AMRO One over the past two weeks, ranging from competition winners to ABN AMRO clients and royalty. Boat Captain Neil Cox skippered the yacht, joined by many of the crew who raced aboard ABN AMRO One and Two during the Volvo Ocean Race.

On 10 June ABN AMRO hosted an Open Day for clients of the bank, whilst 12 June was a celebrity sailing day aboard the Dutch boat. Prince Maurits and Prince Pieter Christiaan van Oranje were amongst the guests, as were Vice Admiral J.W. Kelder and J.T.A.M van Loon, Commander of the Frigate which picked up the late Hans Horrevoets, the crewmember who was tragically washed overboard during the Volvo Ocean Race.

A charity auction was one of the highlights of the fortnight, where guests bid up to €7000 for a sail on the race winning boat. Money was raised for a number of worthwhile causes such as the Dutch Heart Exhibition, whilst Unilever donated funds to Unicef and invited top management from it’s various businesses all over the world to come and sail on the yacht.

This evening the Dutch boat will slip her lines and head to Stockholm, Sweden, where she will undergo a week of hospitality sailing from 25 June, before competing in her last regatta as ABN AMRO One. The Eurocard Round Gotland Race will begin on 1 July and will take ABN AMRO One on a 429 nautical mile race around the beautiful island of Gotland in the Swedish archipelago. The crew list for this final race will be announced shortly.