Team Sanya media crewman

Irishman Frankie Leonard to sail with Chinese Volvo Ocean Race team

Team Sanya has announced the selection of Frankie Leonard as their media crew member who will join the sailing team as they travel around the world competing in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race.

Leonard, who comes from Galway in Ireland (the finish port for the Volvo Ocean Race), made an immediate impact on the other Team Sanya team members when he joined the group for the delivery trip of their new boat from Spain to the UK.

Team Sanya is working in close partnership with ‘Lets Do It Global’, organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race Finish in Galway, Ireland. Under the ‘Discover Ireland.Com’ brand, Lets Do It Global are a team support partner and are delighted with the appointment in that it will assist in building a strong link with Team Sanya.

“The Volvo Ocean Race is the most historic offshore regatta in world sailing. It is considered by many to be the ‘Everest of Sailing’. It is a huge deal that this race is coming back to Ireland and that the final stopover will be in Galway, my hometown. I am extremely proud to be an Irishman onboard Team Sanya and it will be a proud day when we sail back into Galway Bay having completed the 39,000 nautical miles.” said Leonard.

Leonard explained his approach to his new role, “My role as the Media crew Member (MCM), is something that I have been preparing for some time. The position requires communications and technical skills editing and filming, photography and journalism, all carried out in the extreme onboard conditions. I will be in charge of transmitting all of the onboard action and telling the world about life on board Team Sanya. My background as a sailor and professional cameraman will help me deliver this compelling story to our Chinese, Irish and international fan base.”

Mike Sanderson, Skipper of Team Sanya, commented on the announcement. “The role of the MCM is a significant one, especially for Team Sanya. Our aim is to attract the largest following of any Volvo Ocean Race team and Frankie will play a key role in achieving that objective! We have a potential 1.2 billion Chinese fans out there, as well as our Irish and international fans, and so we need to find a unique way to engage with them, inspire them to follow us and get them into the sport of sailing.

"Frankie’s personality as well as his technical abilities in film and photography means he is a perfect candidate for the job. He is supremely fit too from his rugby background and knows what it takes to work as part of a professional sports team and we are really looking forward to having him as part of our team.”

Frankie joined the team this week in the UK to start documenting the Team Sanya story as it unfolds and as the boat goes through its makeover. His first sailing experience with the team will be the Rolex Fastnet Race which starts on 14 August which will take him from the Isle of Wight near to his home country of Ireland as the fleet will round the Fastnet Rock off Southern Ireland before finishing in Plymouth in the UK.