ALICANTE, Spain, Oct. 5 -- The Volvo Ocean Race, which will cover a total distance of 39,379 nautical miles (72,930 kilometers) and considered to be the Qomolangma on the sea, will count of the presence of six Chinese sailors who form part of the Dong Feng team.

The 2014-15 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race starts on October 11, in Alicante and finishes in the Swedish city of Gothenburg in June 2015. It consists of nine stages and seven teams will participate, among which is one sponsored by the Chinese company, Dong Feng Trucks and Aeolius Tyres and the local authority of Shiyan in Hubei Province.

The President of the Dong Feng State Automobile Group, Zhu Fushou, told Xinhua in an interview that 600 years ago a fleet consisting of 600 ships and led by the Admiral Zheng He travelled to over 30 countries and regions. At those times Chinese maritime commerce and technology reached a historical maximum level, but the feudal regime of those times soon closed the door to the outside world and it was only in the 1970s that China again began to look to the sea once again.

He explained that his company Dong Feng Trucks sponsors this edition of the race because the objectives of the business coincide with those of the regatta, which are to have team spirit and to face up to challenges.

Meanwhile, Wang Feng, the President of the Board of Directors of Aeolus Tyre Co, Ltd, a member of the Dong Feng Group, said that Aeolus tyres are sold in over 140 countries and regions worldwide as they are ecological.

He hopes the Dong Feng team, which consists of six Chinese, five French and one Swedish member, will be able to overcome the challenge of the maritime race and enjoy their experience at sea.

The 12 members of the Dong Feng Team are Liu Ming (Leo), Cheng Ying (Kit), Yang Jiru (Wolf), Chen Jinhao (Horace), Chen Chengkong (Kong), Liu Xue (Black) from China, Charles Caudrelier, Pascal Bidegorry, Eric Peron, Tomas Rouxel, Kevin Escoffier, Yann Riou (from France) and Swede Martin Stromberg (Suecia).

The Director General of the Volvo Ocean Race, Knut Frostad, said: "We have a route which all sailors will enjoy. We are starting in Alicante, where the headquarters of the race are based, along with our museum, which is the first museum of this kind in the world.

Some of the best sailors in the world will visit cities such as Cape Town (South Africa), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajai (Brazil), Newport (United States), Lisbon (Portugal), La Hague (Holland) and Gothenburg (Sweden).