After recruiting skipper John Kostecki, designer Juan Kouyoumdjian and boat builder Killian Bushe last year, a second boat bearing the Ericsson colours will be raced by a Nordic crew and skippered by Swede Anders Lewander.

Alongside Kostecki’s international crew, the second boat will be raced by an all Nordic team with a Swedish skipper, Anders Lewander. Lewander is a newcomer to the Volvo Ocean Race and his profile is different from the usual offshore professional sailor.

“We want to bring new people to the event”, commented Ericsson Racing Team managing director, Richard Brisius. “One of our goals is to contribute to building experience of top level offshore sailing among sailors in Scandinavia. There are some very skilled sailors in the Nordic region and we want to give them the opportunity to gain the experience required in international offshore sailing.”

Anders Lewander has a strong background in dinghy sailing, and has been a member of the Swedish National Sailing Team. Among different and very varied sailing experiences – ranging from windsurfers to 49ers – he has also sailed around the world on board Cheyenne/Playstation in the Oryx Cup 2005. He has been working for North Sails Sweden since 1994, and is a very experienced sail maker.

Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Glenn Bourke, himself formerly a top class dinghy sailor said: “I’ve always been a firm believer that great dinghy sailors can sail in any class and adapt quicker and better to the demands of different forms of racing. I expect the drive and determination from this team will be second to none. ”

“I am very pleased to join such a strong and professional team”, commented Anders Lewander. “This is a fantastic opportunity, which suits my personality. I am eager to learn and to share my knowledge. Make no mistake, not having done the race before does not mean I do not aim high. We will be a competitive crew and part of a very strong campaign. I am looking forward to taking on this great challenge.”