Sailing - Next Volvo Ocean race to start in 2021 under new ownership

The current edition, which started in the Spanish city of Alicante last year, is due to finish in The Hague at the end of June.

Atlant Ocean Racing Spain, which is led by Richard Brisius, Johan Salen and Jan Litborn, will take over ownership from Volvo Group and Volvo Cars.

Volvo Cars will remain as race sponsors in 2021.

Brisius and Salen are president and co-president of the current edition and have worked with seven race campaigns over the past 28 years.

Race organisers are considering having two classes of boats in 2021, potentially the current Volvo Ocean 65 one-design class and another that is yet to be determined.

"We will continue to innovate, and it is promising that from day one we can think long-term as we have the resources secured to deliver the next race already," Salen told the Volvo Ocean website (www.volvooceanrace.com).

"Opening the race to another existing class would allow us to tap into an existing inventory of round the world race boats that are at the cutting edge of technology."

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by John O'Brien)