Volvo Ocean Race: Sail with the wind from east

With the crowds cheering and waving flags on the seashore, sailboats departed one by one from the port of Alicante of East Spain to reassemble at the starting line in the sea. At 14:00, October, 22, sailing athletes of Volvo Ocean Race started their first leg of a 45,000 nautical miles march around the world.

Volvo Ocean Race first stared in 1973, which is often described as the toughest and longest sporting event, "an ultimate test of team and a human adventure like no other." It's held every three years, the 2017-18 edition will take seven teams across four oceans, touching six countries and 12 host cities during the nine-month epic journey.

Among these seven teams, Dongfeng Race Team from China carries a high expectation to sail towards the championship. Dongfeng Race team started its journey of Volvo Ocean Race from 2014, and finally took the third place in its first show. This year, more excellent sailors from around the world joined Donfeng Race Team, aiming to win the championship with their Chinese teammates.

Charles Caudrelier, the French skipper of Dongfeng Race Team told Xinhua a day before the race: "Tommorrow is a very important day. We have been working for this moment over the past whole year. I think I've got a team that I dreamed of, crews from six different countries share their diverse cultures and understanding of sailing."

Meanwhile, young Chinese crew member Chen Jinhao showed his confidence and determination. "Compared with the last race in 2014, our Chinese teammates have 'grown up a lot', more rational, more experienced, and more competitive. We will take two hundred percent effort to win this race, to achieve what we are expected to do."

In 2014, a subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor Corporation sponsored the Dongfeng Race Team to participate the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race.

In this year, the Volvo Ocean Race will pass and stop in several countries which participate in the "Belt and Road" initiative. "This ocean race is a platform for us to deepen mutual understanding and seeking new commercial opportunities with the countries along its route." Said He Wei, the deputy party secretary of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co Ltd, which sponsors Dongfeng Race Team since 2014, "It reflects the oversea strategy of Dongfeng Corporation, and helps us to contribute to the belt and road initiative by presenting Donfeng to the whole world."

The race's second stop is Lisbon, Portugal, then the seven sailing teams will pass by Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajai, Newport, Cardiff, Gothenburg and the Hague to accomplish their nine-month global sailing.