Torben Grael - Skipper
45. Brazil. Married with two children. As a world champion Torben already has his place in sailing history. His five podium finishes, including two gold medals, makes him the most successful Olympic sailor to take to the water, while he remains the only Brazilian to have taken part in an America’s Cup campaign. His family’s past is steeped in sailing success and the Volvo Ocean Race is one of the few titles he has not yet claimed.
Marcel van Triest - Navigator
41. Netherlands. Taking part in his fifth round-the-world race - Equity &Law II (1989), Intrum Justitia (1993/1994), Innovation Kvaerner (Whitbread 1997-1998) and SEB (2002/2003) -, he will be the most experienced sailor onboard the Brasil 1. He was an Admiral’s Cup champion in 1991 and took part in the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup, onboard the French boat Le Defi.
Andre Fonseca - Trimmer / Helmsman
27. Brazil. Single. Andre, known on the circuit as Bochecha, finished sixth in the 49er class at the 2004 Athens Olympics having competed in the 470 class at the Sydney games four years earlier. Bochecha also has a Snipe Junior World Championship and ten Brazilian Championships to his credit in smaller boats, while he has won the 1992 Prins Bertils Cup and 1997 Rio-Santos in Ocean regattas.
Andy Meiklejohn - Bowman / Trimmer
30. New Zealand. Single. Andy is the newest crew member having replaced Justin Clougher who left the Brazilian team to join the Pirates of the Caribbean. Andy, a mast specialist, won the 2005 Oryx Quest round-the-world regatta and comes to the team with the experience of a previous Volvo Ocean Race campaign where he finished fifth aboard Team News Corp four years ago.
João Signorini - Trimmer / Helmsman
28 Brazil. Single. João started life as a sailor at the age of eight in the Optimist class before switching to Lasers and then to the Finn class, where he represented Brazil at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens. The son of a doctor, João is also one of the crew’s medics.
Kiko Pellicano - Bowman / Trimmer
31. Brazil. Single. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Kiko comes from a family of sailors. His sister Márcia is a Pan-Am medallist who has taken part in three Olympic Games. A Brazilian Champion six times in Ocean and Tornado classes, Kiko is also four-times Santos-Rio regatta champion and has competed in two Olympic Games, where he won a Tornado class bronze medal in Atlanta nine years ago.
Horacio Carabelli - Crewman
Uruguay. Horacio is the technical director of the Brasil 1 project, but his sailing career starting in Optimists at the age of 8. He has twice been a junior world champion and South American champion in the Snipe and represented Uruguay at the 1988 Olympics in the Soling class.
Marcelo Ferreira - Trimmer
39. Brazil. Married with two children. Marcelo has partnered Torben Grael for 15 years in which time they won three Olympic medals in the Star class and a world title in 1990, before he collected another world title with a German partner in 1997. Marcelo has been a European champion three times and has collected seven Brazilian titles.
Roberto Bermudez - Helmsman
35. Spain. Married with two children. Taking part in his third Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race event Roberto is an old friend of skipper Torben Grael, who he trained with in the lead-up to the Athens Olympics. He has completed a hat-trick of victories in both the Copa del Rey and Spanish Master Championship and raced alongside Brasil 1 crewmate Stuart Wilson aboard ASSA ABLOY four years ago.
Stuart Wilson - Trimmer
38. New Zealand. Single. Stuart has the unenviable task of coordinating the sails for Brasil 1, whereby he is responsible for sail modifications and repairing the damage caused by the testing conditions found along this race course. He sailed aboard ASSA ABLOY in the 2001-02 race.
