Phil Lawrence

Department: Race Management

What he does: Looks after all matters relating to the race on the water and is responsible for the rules governing the sport side of the event. Also runs the Race Control, which is based in Alicante and operates 24/7 when the boats are at sea. The control of the Volvo Ocean 65 Class rules is one of Phil's department responsibilities.

Who he is: Phil is an accomplished sailor in his own right, having competed in the Olympic Games for Great Britain in 1992. Since then, he has completed many more miles sailing offshore, and has bags of sailing and commercial expertise, having previously performed his role in the Extreme Sailing Series.

He speaks: English

Something about him that you don't know: Phil is a numbers guy - he's a qualified accountant and worked in finance for many years before moving into running sailing events professionally.