One of the more compelling stories of the Volvo Ocean Race relates to the unusual formation of the Dongfeng team, which held tryouts as a means of finding six Chinese-born team members for the around-the-world race roster.
When the race begins on Saturday, two Chinese nationals of limited experience will be among the eight sailors, who will mostly be veteran Western professionals, including French skipper Charles Caudrelier.
The plan is to eventually increase the number of Chinese on board as they gain experience over the course of the nine-month race.
The two selected for the first leg to Cape Town were Yang Jiru and Chen Jin Hao, and the former created a stir this week at a team function when he broke down in tears.
Speaking to dozens of team guests alongside his teammates, Jiru began sobbing when discussing the first-leg roster. The clip was posted on YouTube and quickly made the rounds in Volvo circles.
Jiru said he was not weeping because he was proud to have made the line-up on a team that is blazing a Chinese trail into endurance yachting. He said he was sad for a friend, Liu Ming, who had worked equally as hard and was left out of the first leg.
“I knew how much it meant to him not to make the team,” Jiru said. “Actually, I was quite ashamed, and I’m not proud of it. It hit me hard because I know that we are living his dream, too.”
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