The Dongfeng Race Team is battling six other teams in a water race around the world. Photo: Courtesy of the Dongfeng Race Team

May 17 was not an ordinary Sunday, but a day for a new start. On that day, the Chinese sailboat carrying the Dongfeng Race Team crew set off from Newport, US to Lisbon, Portugal on a race with teams from six other countries, as part of the Volvo Ocean Race. Six of the 18 members of Dongfeng Race Team are Chinese, the most Chinese sailors in one team at the Volvo Ocean Race on record.

It will take the participants about three weeks to reach their destination, but this is only one leg of the whole sailing journey. This 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 travels the globe, with a series of stops that give fans all over the world the chance to experience the In-Port Race series.

The campaign started in Alicante, Spain in October 2014 and will finish in Gothenburg, Sweden in June 2015. During the race, the seven boats representing seven countries will stop by 11 ports in 11 different countries, starting in Europe and spreading across Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas before finishing back in Europe.

Lasting for nearly nine months, the Volvo Ocean Race is the longest sporting event in the world. Lisbon is the eighth stop in the race.

The Dongfeng Race Team, which was specially formed for this race, has had a good performance so far. Skippered by Frenchman Charles Caudrelier, this ambitious team has ranked second after the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team, which represents the United Arab Emirates.

The Dongfeng Race Team's sponsor is Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFMC). To them, the meaning of having a Chinese team participate in this sailing race is not only about the ranking, but also about promoting the image of China, the capability of the Chinese sailors, and the ambition of this Chinese auto company to achieve international recognition.

In 2013, before the Dongfeng Race Team was formed, DFMC signed a strategic partnership agreement with Volvo Group under the initiative of boosting DFMC's expansion towards the overseas market.

General Manager of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicles Huang Gang said that the Volvo Ocean Race, as the leading world sailing race, enjoys a long history and has made a great impact, which is good for escalating the brand recognition of DFMC worldwide. In addition, the parking ports along the sailing route of the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 are also target markets for DFMC.

The boats will be arriving at Lisbon, Portugal from May 23 to 27, and after that, there will be only three stops left before the final destination. For the Chinese team, it's time for a sprint.