Read has racked up nearly 50 World, National and North American championships, helmed two Americaís Cup campaigns (2000 & 2003) and been named twice the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. Now he is preparing for the ultimate challenge as Skipper of PUMA Ocean Racing. After a full test program completed last summer on both Avanti, the PUMA Ocean Racing training boat, as well as the 90-foot Rambler, where he smashed records race after race, Read and his Newport-based crew are gearing up to be the fastest team to make it around the globe.
The 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain on 4 October 2008, it will for the first time, take in ports in Asia. Spanning some 39,000 nautical miles, stopping at around 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier yacht race for professional racing crews.
