Ambersail

For the first time in history, Lithuania will be represented in the race by Ambersail,a Volvo 60 to be skippered by Simonas Steponavièius and featuring an all-Lithuanian crew. The boat has clocked up 100,000 nautical miles and competed in many major offshore regattas, including the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland, RORC Caribbean 600, Transatlantic, Rolex Fastnet and Rolex Middle Sea Races. In 2008/09, she circumnavigated the world to commemorate the millennium of her new home, Lithuania

"This is a legendary yacht race - we have wanted to compete in it for some time. We decided that this was the year to leave the beaten track of the Europe - Caribbean circle and head down under," Steponavicius said.

Ambersail will sail to Australia, crossing the Pacific to stop in Auckland for maintenance at the beginning of December before making her way to Sydney. Although not designed for handicap racing and the upwind conditions the normally favours the race, Ambersailstill upsets her more modern rivals in international competition.

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