Is there a turnaround in the case of the dismissed AkzoNobel skipper Simeon Tienpont? Dutch media report that the 35-year-old Dutchman has won the hearing he convened before the Dutch Court of Arbitration. The two parties to the dispute - skipper Tienpont and his management agency Steam Ocean on the one side and team sponsor AkzoNobel on the other - did not initially confirm the outcome of the long hearing, which began on Friday and only ended on Saturday.
Nevertheless, in addition to the Dutch "AD" and the sailing blog "Sailing Illustrated", Dutch national television also reported that Tienpont had won his case and would return to Alicante as skipper for the first leg. The news came a day before the starting signal for the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race from Alicante to Lisbon, which begins on Sunday at 2pm German time. Until then, it remains to be seen who will actually be in command on board AkzoNobel.
Tienpont was unexpectedly sacked last week during the prologue from Lisbon to Alicante. Sponsor AkzoNobel initially only cited "breach of contract" by Tienpont's company Steam Ocean as the official reason for the radical measure, without explaining this in detail. Tienpont then appealed to the Dutch arbitration court and has now apparently obtained an arbitration award in its favour. An AkzoNobel spokesperson, Joost Ruempol, has since told the Dutch television station NOS: "We are evaluating the current situation and are working on it with Simeon Tienpont." So many eyes will be on the blue and purple boat flying the Dutch flag on Sunday: Will it start leg 1 with or without the only Dutch sailor on board?
Who are the skippers leading their teams into the 13th edition of the race around the world on Sunday? This clip introduces them briefly and with a few surprises:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
