26 Dec 2008

Cash-stripped Team Russia pulls out of Volvo race

10:36 am on 26 December 2008

A Russian team has pulled out of the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race as they do not have enough funds to continue.

Team Russia, led by St Petersburg supermarket owner Oleg Zherebtsov, announced it had suspended its operations after arriving in Singapore at the end of Leg Three earlier this week.

The team, named Kosatka or killer whale in Russian, was hoping to make its mark on the international sailing scene, culminating in a finish in its home port of St Petersburg next June.

Kosatka was the latest Russian sporting venture affected by the global financial crisis. Many of the country's professional clubs in soccer, basketball and ice hockey have been forced to cut their budgets or face liquidation.