SCA, Philadelphia, Pa., USA, has announced the first U.S. sailor to join Team SCA, the only all-female crew to compete in the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race. Sally Barkow, a former Olympic sailor and Wisconsin native, joins an international crew of 11 women who will compete in a nine-leg race around the world, covering more than 39,000 miles of the world’s most challenging oceans and conditions. 

 

The Volvo Ocean Race is one of sailing’s "Big Three" events along with the America's Cup and the Olympics. "Team SCA," the official name for the crew, was the first to announce an entry for what will be the 12th edition of the race that will launch from Alicante, Spain, in October 2014. An all-female team is uncommon for the sailing competition (there hasn’t been one in more than a decade) due, in part, to the intense physical challenges of the race. However, all boat entries this time are using the exact same boat design, leveling the playing field.

"The Volvo Ocean Race offers us a great opportunity to raise the profile of SCA and its brands in the U.S. in a way that supports our B2B customers," said Don Lewis, president of SCA in the Americas. "Team SCA’s participation aligns strongly with a key focus of our company ¬– respect for nature – and underscores our connection with our consumers worldwide, 80% of whom are women."