Kerry sailor Damian Foxall (39), Justin Slattery (34) from County Wexford and Ian Moore (37) from County Antrim are all members of the crew, with three further Irishmen on the shore management team.
Experienced boatbuilding professional Johnny Smullen has been chosen as Shore Manager, having most recently worked for the US Military developing low-wake high-speed stealth craft for the American Navy.
Johnny Mordaunt joins the team as Technical co-ordinator and James Carroll takes the position of Boat Captain.
The full sailing squad, working forward from the transom, are as follows:
Ian Moore IRL - Navigator
Damian Foxall IRL - Watch Leader
Phil Harmer AUS - Trimmer/driver
Tom Braidwood AUS - Trimmer/Driver
Scott Millar IRL - Trimmer
Andrew McLean NZL - Bowman
Justin Slattery IRL - Bowman
Freddie Shanks GBR - Bowman
Four of the team have competed in the Volvo Ocean Race previously, with Foxall, Slattery and Braidwood all racing in the last edition.
Slattery competed as bowman on ABN Amro One, which one the race by a clear margin last time around.
Watch Leader Damian Foxall is the team-member with the most ocean miles under his belt - 310,000nm to date - many of those in short-handed races.
Foxall, Ireland's best-known offshore racer, was the winner of the inaugural double-handed Barcelona World Race earlier this year with Jean-Pierre Dick aboard Paprec Virbac and has competed in seven Round the World Races and completed 18 Trans-Atlantic crossings.
Overseeing sailing matters for the Green Team is TP52 Patches owner Eamon Conneely and he is delighted with the squad chosen so far.
“We are very fortunate to have secured the calibre of people that we have. We will be adding three more squad members including the second watch leader in due course but I am pleased with the current mixture of youth (4 under 30s) and Volvo 70 experience.
"In Damian and Justin we have proven offshore winners and the team will be turning to them for a lot of advice in our preparation as well as during the race,” explained Conneely.
The team’s media specialist and further squad members will be announced over the coming weeks.
Skipper Ian Walker explained:“It is my intention to have a squad of 12 sailors plus the media representative which is the minimum we need for both the offshore and inshore races.
"Nobody’s place is set in stone and everyone, including me, will have to earn the right to represent this team. We will bring in extra help as and when we see fit. It is a long race and it will take a heavy toll on both mind and body”.
The team, along with 15 shore crew and boatbuilders, are already hard at work at Endeavour Quay, Gosport, UK preparing their new Volvo Open 70 for sea trials. Once initial sea trials have been completed the Green Team will sail to Ireland for an official christening in Dublin in July. The team will then be based in Galway until leaving for Alicante at the end of August.
