Volvo Ocean Race

With an established reputation as a talented and creative yachting photographer he has recently expanded into sailing video. Was a member of the 65-footer Vanquish as part of the All-American Offshore Team for the Transatlantic Race 2011 and the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race. He was also a member of the crew of the 90-foot canting keeler Genuine Risk, winning the Newport Bermuda Race 2010. Nominated for the Inmarsat MCM award for the first leg.

Jackson boasts a hat-trick of Volvo Ocean Race victories among his five previous appearances. Those wins came with NZ Endeavour (1993-94), ABN AMRO ONE (2005-06) and Ericsson 4 (2008-09) in the last race. A father of three, Jackson was named New Zealand Sailor of the Year, jointly with Stu Bannatyne, in 2009.

Making his second appearance with PUMA after finishing second last time. Has a history of state title wins in the 14-foot skiff classes in Australia and as boat captain on several of Grant Wharington's Skandia Wild Thing maxis. Was a key member of the Rambler during their victorious 2007 season. Was first over the side when PUMA Ocean Racing lost its mast during Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, cutting the rigging free of the mainsail.

An experienced sailor with inshore and offshore background, Swain first took part in the Volvo Ocean Race in 1997-98 on Chessie Racing (sixth). He went on to race with Tyco (2001-02) and Movistar (2005-06) before finally gaining a podium place with Telefónica Blue’s third spot in the last race. As he nears the end of a long offshore leg, he most looks forward to fresh fruit, a shower and a glass of good win.

Harrap’s experience of this race goes back to 1993-94 with Chris Dickson’s Whitbread 60 Tokio and he also competed in 1997-98 with Toshiba. Married with two children, he competed in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and has been involved with the America’s Cup and coaching in recent years.

Mueller famously received news of the birth of his daughter via a satellite phone call during the leg from China to Brazil in the last race, when he was also sailing for PUMA. The only German sailor in the current edition, he has a strong background in top flight national, European and world championship competition and has racked up thousands of offshore miles. His engineering background makes him one of the more technical members of the crew.

At 22 years old he is the youngest sailor in this edition of the race but despite his age he has a mass of experience to call on having been sailing since he was three years old. Kirby is keeping the family sailing reputation alive – his father is the three-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran Jerry Kirby.

A sail maker with BMW Oracle during the 2007 America’s Cup, Godfrey was another member of the winning Ericsson 4 crew in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race when they set the 24- hour monohull record on Leg 1 from Alicante to Cape Town.

Addis enjoyed two leg wins with Telefónica Blue during his first Volvo Ocean Race appearance in 2008-09. Born in Sydney, the espresso lover worked as a meteorologist with Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup in 2007 and has played a part in victories in the Sydney-Hobart and Transpac races.

The cooking show devotee and three-time America’s Cup veteran first competed in the race in 1997-98 and has back-to-back victories in the last two editions with ABN AMRO ONE and Ericsson 4. He suffered a knee injury after just a week of  Leg 1 in the 2008-09 race and was medivac’d from the boat, but recovered in time for the start of the next leg.