Top American racer Dennis Conner announced today that Team Dennis Conner is to be one of the syndicates taking part in the Volvo Ocean Race round the world in 2001-2002. The race, which was formerly the Whitbread, has already attracted some of the world’s top racers and is to be sailed in a new V.0 60 class.

The Volvo campaign is very much on the back burner for now, as Team Dennis Conner are one of the challengers for the 2000 America’s Cup. “While the start of the Volvo Ocean Race is not until September of 2001 we first need to raise the necessary funds to be there,” Conner comments. “We are meeting with corporations around the world on a regular basis to gauge their interest in joining our team for the America’s Cup, but there are some companies that prefer the format of the Volvo Ocean Race, so it is nice to be able to offer them either property, or both.”