Lelystad, February 16, 2017 – Team Heiner Talents will participate in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2020 with their own team. Since 2011 Team Heiner structurally educates ambitious young sailors between the ages of 18 and 23 in their own program: Team Heiner Talents. This program focuses on developing the talent of youngsters in the broadest sense of the word and with that making a huge difference. Since then, many talents have penetrated into the national and international sailing top. Team Heiner Talents have participated in the Fastnet Race, the Rolex Big Boat series, the Middle Sea Race and the Sydney Hobart Race, to name a few, but they are also active in Olympic Sailing, optimist coaching and maintenance of large competition boats.

“When developing your talent, you can rule the world”
The essence of the talent program is to enable youngsters to achieve the maximum result with their own talents. By supporting them, they have shown the ability to continuously improve themselves. That is exactly why Team Heiner Talents will participate in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2020.

Probably the youngest team ever
The team that will sail in the Volvo Ocean Race will consist of all the sailors who have been part of the Talents program. That said, they will probably be the youngest team ever to participate in the Volvo Ocean Race. The team will carry out all of the tasks on board themselves. This means that Team Heiner Talents will master all of the positions, varying from bowman to navigator. Sailors who have not participated in the Team Heiner Talents program will not step aboard. Only those sailors who have developed sufficiently on both a personal level, as well as on a sailing technical level to safely sail around the world, will be selected. During the coming period we will also develop the Team Heiner Talents education on an international level. The expectation is that the biggest part of the team that will compete in the Volvo Ocean Race will have the Dutch nationality.

Preparation on bigger boats
As of today, the Team Heiner Talents will have 3,5 years to prepare themselves. Up until now, they have sailed on the J109 and Max Fun 35 on a regular basis and with other owners on 40+ foot boats. The next step is to sail on bigger and special boats, such as the Team Heiner 38 with its canting keel, the Volvo 60, ‘Team Heiner One’ – former Tyco of the 2001/2002 VOR – and thereafter the boat chosen for the 2020 Volvo Ocean Race. Ocean crossings will also be part of the training program.

Getting the best out of yourself and the team
The education that the Talents partake in takes 4 years and covers all of the aspects of keel boat sailing, such as boat handling, sailing theory, individual knowledge, collaboration and group processes, maintenance of boats, managing several sailing positions on board, competition sailing during the day and night at sea, crossing of boats, safety, navigation and the use of motors. Furthermore, a program is followed in the area of leadership and team development, providing more insight into personal and team motives and numerous personal competences. The education is available for anyone with talent and motivation, regardless of descent or income; there are no costs involved for the talents. Team Heiner Talents are permitted to participate on the basis of a comprehensive selection.

Team Heiner Talents have been supported by her partners Moving Intelligence, Kuiper Insurance, Flevo Marina, Reco, HollandBoat, Management Drives and Magic Marine. In the following years we will be looking at extending the partnership with more companies.

Photo credits: Laurens Morel