3f66b55e-a356-497d-9031-e4c3cb1cfec5/news/article/2008/april/kulilivingthedream/2008-04-29T14:52:16.99News | Kuli living the dreamtruef49f95fe-af48-4e6f-92fe-3ebb0980822dNews Story Creative 01Defaultnews_story_creative_01.xslta0d6a8a2-682a-48f2-a083-1d5b93b1e5c2Default2008-04-29T15:02:27.85711-09-08 1717 GMTKuli living the dream4aee3341-5001-4a4a-aea8-cc1e2c3ca8bfFor Team Russia’s sail maker, the 1989 race aboard Fasizi and the current campaign are worlds apart.a2a49bce-fdda-4592-ac7f-a59b8e56cfe2ImagePrimaryMov0d93b671-9b72-44e4-b9d6-722ad3e04a4bimages/assets/kuli_605x57.pngtrueHeadline: Kuli Living the Dreamkuli_605x57.png.png5760590c1f334-b8fd-411a-919d-78e40736b6b3images/assets/kuli_605x57_thumb.pngfalseHeadline: Kuli Living the Dreamkuli_605x57_thumb.png{Width=605, Height=5.png910010ContentImageHeadline: Kuli Living the Dream 605x572008-04-29T14:49:08.363falsefalsefalsefalse0fdcb7c4-8c06-45d6-b6aa-12e7658cc1baImagePrimaryMovf87e5527-140a-4b40-b548-5bc27ee2cbf4images/assets/kuli_413x171.jpgtrueVladimir Kulinichenko, sail maker for Team Russiakuli_413x171.jpg.jpg171413©2008 Volvo Ocean Race / Louay Habibbbdbbbc2-de95-40a0-b145-4c198d94fb0aimages/assets/kuli_413x171_thumb.jpgfalseVladimir Kulinichenko, sail maker for Team Russiakuli_413x171_thumb.jpg{Width=413, Height=1.jpg41100©2008 Volvo Ocean Race / Louay Habib10ContentImagekuli_413x171,Kuli 413x1712008-04-29T14:47:38.813falsefalsefalsefalse10513f6e-b836-4965-8113-f3fd72fa0420ImagePrimaryMov994053db-bcfe-41a1-aec9-67431ecfb4cbimages/assets/teamrussiatruecolours_171x2.jpgtrueTeam Russia Logoteamrussiatruecolours_171x2.jpg.jpg212171Team Russia951d77d2-d6fb-461b-ad13-b2fd6438c1a3images/assets/teamrussiatruecolours_171x2_thumb.jpgfalseTeam Russia Logoteamrussiatruecolours_171x2_thumb.jpg{Width=171, Height=2.jpg10081Team Russia10ContentImageteamrussiatruecolours_171x2,Team Russia Logo 171x2122008-03-12T15:40:05.027falsefalsefalsefalsec2f22872-860b-42bd-849c-72aaea76026dImagePrimaryMova159250a-e167-46db-af42-f52a4186bb7fimages/assets/kuli_456x69.pngtrueHeadline: Kuli Living the Dreamkuli_456x69.png.png6945603e3c44d-0c11-45c0-9138-2f1440649a02images/assets/kuli_456x69_thumb.pngfalseHeadline: Kuli Living the Dreamkuli_456x69_thumb.png{Width=456, Height=6.png1510010ContentImageHeadline: Kuli Living the Dream 456x692008-04-29T14:48:35.3falsefalsefalsefalsecdb176fd-c5c2-449b-b1de-27d9bcdf418aImagePrimaryMov413148bd-02c1-4b6c-915c-2445043ca399images/assets/kuli_292x218.jpgtrueVladimir Kulinichenko, sail maker for Team Russiakuli_292x218.jpg.jpg218292©2008 Volvo Ocean Race / Louay Habib9d059856-4e25-4060-8c19-55c82e625312images/assets/kuli_292x218_thumb.jpgfalseVladimir Kulinichenko, sail maker for Team Russiakuli_292x218_thumb.jpg{Width=292, Height=2.jpg75100©2008 Volvo Ocean Race / Louay Habib10ContentImagekuli_292x218,Kuli 292x2182008-04-29T14:47:16.003falsefalsefalsefalseed98d7b3-c3f2-4071-8adc-d7c1de9a592cImagePrimaryMovae7838fc-b8fc-4231-8ef2-0fc1d7cd4193images/assets/kuli_456x74.pngtrueHeadline: Kuli Living the Dreamkuli_456x74.png.png74456dbadfd73-3d32-44db-bcff-c35cfea3d1dbimages/assets/kuli_456x74_thumb.pngfalseHeadline: Kuli Living the Dreamkuli_456x74_thumb.png{Width=456, Height=7.png1610010ContentImageHeadline: Kuli Living the Dream 456x742008-04-29T14:48:55.003falsefalsefalsefalse7cc00801-4ee2-447f-b576-e9c9781801b8ImagePrimaryMov3800bd8c-834e-4f52-8cf3-d9547d689e87images/assets/kuli_442x123.jpgtrueVladimir Kulinichenko, sail maker for Team Russiakuli_442x123.jpg.jpg123442©2008 Volvo Ocean Race / Louay Habib1dd6585f-2f4f-47df-aa3b-0c3e96ae150fimages/assets/kuli_442x123_thumb.jpgfalseVladimir Kulinichenko, sail maker for Team Russiakuli_442x123_thumb.jpg{Width=442, Height=1.jpg28100©2008 Volvo Ocean Race / Louay Habib10ContentImagekuli_442x123,Kuli 442x1232008-04-29T14:47:56.94falsefalsefalsefalsebafe14df-1f39-468d-89ad-baf04d170200ImagePrimaryMovdc497f20-18df-4e3a-ac65-ab8b2d42e311images/assets/kuli_183x137.jpgtrueVladimir Kulinichenko, sail maker for Team Russiakuli_183x137.jpg.jpg137183©2008 Volvo Ocean Race / Louay Habib90aba14f-7b4e-481d-ad6a-4416ae4623ffimages/assets/kuli_183x137_thumb.jpgfalseVladimir Kulinichenko, sail maker for Team Russiakuli_183x137_thumb.jpg{Width=183, Height=1.jpg75100©2008 Volvo Ocean Race / Louay Habib10ContentImagekuli_183x137,Kuli 183x1372008-04-29T14:46:49.5falsefalsefalsefalseb2b1e39d-2cf2-4739-b06f-bcb037df734bKULI LIVING THE DREAMfalse4e58b03e-3856-46c3-94bf-4bddee47c006http://www.volvooceanrace.tv_blankThis will open a new pageFollow the race on Volvo Ocean Race TVed805c37-10e8-46fa-a15e-0a899d538473

For Vladimir Kulinichenko, recently announced as sail maker for Team Russia, the chance to compete in another Whitbread/Volvo was one he thought would never come his way again.

‘Kuli’ was onboard the first Soviet Whitbread boat Fasizi in 1989-90 and later Odessa and Hetman Sahaidachny.

He has been plying his trade in the United States since 1995 and competing at grand prix level in a variety of yachts. That was until the lure of ocean racing became too great. Just like it did with Fasizi.

Speaking about that campaign under the American Skip Novak, Kuli says: “It is what I had been dreaming of all my life, every day in a dinghy as a kid.

“In Russia we didn’t get much information about the round the world race, we knew it was going on but it was not in the newspapers. I read a lot of books about ocean racing and it was my dream to sail around the world for a long, long time.”

But life on board Fasizi was anything but dreamy. She was not well equipped for the job. Designed with little freeboard, her decks were often under water, down below was cramped and very little ventilation meant sweltering heat in the tropics and a cold, damp existence in the frozen south. Kuli joined the boat in Fremantle and he remembers the first leg, like it was yesterday.

“I remember counting down the days to Cape Horn, it was a huge thing for me to go past it, we gave some vodka to King Neptune and it was the first time for all of the crew except Skip. I did all of the rest of the race, it was hard but I was so glad to do it.”

The 2008-09 Russian campaign, says Kulinichenko, is worlds apart.

“There is no comparison. Fasizi was successful in so much as it was great exposure for Russian sailing but Team Russia have a much more professional approach and although we are looking for more sponsorship, we have a budget to produce a good boat and sails.

“I am really excited about the race; everything is brand new to me, every port is different to 1989 so I am really excited to visit these places. Rio de Janeiro is a special place from me. A little tradition from my home town, Odessa, is a comic book called The Twelve Chairs. At the end of the story the character Ostap Bender walks on Copacabana beach dressed totally in white and so I am going to do it when I get to Rio and all my friends will be so jealous.

“Really, I am a bit old at 48 to do the whole race but if I could chose to sail just one leg it would be the finish into St Petersburg that would be the ultimate goal.

“A Russian sailing into St Petersburg to finish the Volvo Ocean Race would be my proudest moment. It wouldn’t get better than that.”

For Team Russia’s sail maker, the 1989 race aboard Fasizi and the current campaign are worlds apart2008-04-29T14:00:00Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:00:00ti, 29 apr 2008 14:00:00 +0200