TIGERS may fight tooth and claw to rule their domain, and human namesake Tiger Teng, 38, brings the same spirit and determination to the world's oceans as a competitive sailor racing around the globe.

As inquisitive, tireless and competitive as his self-chosen English name suggests, Teng is the first Chinese professional sailor to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race, described by organizers as the world's most challenging sailing competition.

He is one of the 10-strong crew on Team Sanya, the first sailing team sponsored by a Chinese organization.

Tomorrow, Teng sets off from the US for a journey of around 20 days across the Atlantic ocean from Miami to Lisbon.

It is the first outing for Team Sanya since it was forced out of Leg 5 from New Zealand by boat damage in late March. Repairs saw the team also miss Leg 6 of the race that concludes in July.

"Taking part in the Volvo Ocean Race is the marine equivalent to climbing Mount Everest," said Teng. "We go where the strongest winds are."

While most people love the ocean for its soothing power, sailors love the challenges it brings.

"I get really bored and worried on a calm day at sea," Teng said. "My perfect weather at sea is billowing winds, because that's what powers our boat.

"The stronger the wind, the more excited I am," he added. "The wind provides our speed."

However, speeding across the ocean brings its hazards, as Teng has discovered on the race.

Danger then disappointment

Team Sanya, with the only secondhand boat taking part in the race, has suffered several technical problems. Damage to the helm in March forced the team out for a period.

But with repairs complete, Teng and the rest of the crew are eager to get back into competition against the other five teams.

Teng has vivid memories of the accident, and the mixture of danger and then disappointment it brought.

"It was March 22, about eight in the evening on the fifth day of our journey from Auckland in New Zealand to Itajai in Brazil," he recalled. "It was dark and the weather was bad, as was usually the case."

Everyone was concentrating on their duties when suddenly the helmsman found the wheel was no longer controlling the vessel.

Without escorting ships the safety of the crew is dependent on their own actions. Several members of the crew realized the problem, and immediately rushed to replace the broken tiller with a backup.

"Luckily, we were not far from land, and managed to reach shore with the backup," Teng said. "But we couldn't continue the race with that weaker helm."

The ship underwent repairs in New Zealand, during which time Teng returned to China.

A boat from Abu Dhabi also failed to complete that leg of the race, said Teng.

While concerning, this is not the most dangerous sailing incident Teng has experienced. "When I had just become a professional sailor, once water poured into our boat during a practice and we almost sank," he said. Another time, a boat was lifted by a 10-meter wave, a team member was thrown about on deck and broke a leg. "It's really a dangerous profession," Teng said. "You can be injured at any time."

In addition to frequent accidents, life at sea is not easy. The most simple tasks on land - walking straight, sleeping sound and eating well - are not so straightforward in rough seas.

Teng says he was born to be a sailor as he never suffers from seasickness. Thanks to this, he sleeps soundly even when his cabin is whirling like a washing machine and wakes refreshed and full of energy.

He admits he's not fussy about what he eats at sea, just concentrates on filling up on calories. "We always have enough food on board, but it's just something edible," Teng said. "You really don't have time to think about the taste. You're really hungry, and you have to finish a meal in three minutes."

He said some friends have also asked him whether sailors take a shower during a race, and if they take time out to enjoy sunrise and starry skies and indulge in a bit of fishing along the way.

"The truth is that we don't shower. The ocean is clean and the breaking waves act as our shower," Teng said.

And with regards to star-gazing and casting a line, Teng said there's little time for that.

"Actually, we don't think about much except controlling the boat and gaining speed. In any case, we're usually in challenging conditions, so we focus on those."

Without distractions, what remains is hard work and a determination to reach the destination as fast as possible. Teng describes himself as someone fascinated by interesting pursuits and competition. In 2004, Teng became a motor racer and, continuing his pursuit for speed, took a sailing course in May 2010. It was the first time he had tried sailing.

"It was a training course for skippers, and I found that I was good at sailing," Teng said. "Like motor racing, sailing is also about speed. They are both a game against time, and that's what fascinates me."

Teng says that, like many people, he had dreamt of one day owning a boat and drifting leisurely on clear, calm waters. Instead, he ended up falling in love with the fierce ocean.

After his first course, Teng trained more extensively in Europe the following year and when he learned that the tourist authority in Hainan Province's Sanya City had decided to organize a boat for the Volvo Ocean Race and was recruiting sailors, he immediately applied and was selected. His nine crewmates are far more experienced sailors from traditional sailing powers, such as Spain and Norway.

"It is very rare that sailors with less than 10 years' experience can take part in the Volvo Ocean Race," Teng said. "I am lucky, and I think I'm also doing a good job."

He is the trimmer on the boat, responsible for adjusting the sail for speed or tactics, a task that requires him to master the details and communicate efficiently with the skipper.

"I certainly feel pressured among the veterans, but it proves that I'm a good learner and a qualified sailor," Teng said.

During the race, he has also taken on more advanced roles, such as helmsman.

Team Sanya was received like heroes in Sanya City in February, when the crew finished the journey from Abu Dhabi in Leg 3. Teng took the chance to celebrate the birthday of his son with his family.

Mixed emotions

But the non-heroic reason that kept Teng in China after the boat was damaged in March left him with mixed emotions.

"It was really complicated," he says. "On one hand, I felt really happy to see my family, but on the other, I was deeply disappointed to miss part of the competition. That makes my experience incomplete."

Teng's wife and two pre-school sons travel extensively with him when he sails around the world. But at each stop, Teng only has a couple days of free time with his family as his schedule between stages is taken up with training and other competition activities.

And even during the enforced lay-off in China between March and May, he was with his family for only a fortnight, spending the rest of the time training offshore at Hainan Province.

Teng said his sailing life leaves him little free time, and is still waiting to find a chance to see the latest installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.

"I really feel sorry for my family for being unable to spend enough time with them," he said. "Of course they have grumbles, but we understand that it is part of my career. I was not paid to have a reunion with my family."

During the short time at home, Teng realized that dealing with his young sons brings its own challenges, up there with fighting the ocean. "They are rebellious and usually don't listen to what you say," Teng said.

He is looking forward to the six-month break after this season's competition ends in July, but is equally keen to be part of the crew on the Sanya team's new boat, to be built next year. He hopes to take part in the next competition and said another one or two Chinese organizations have shown an interest in sponsoring a team.

Currently a cub in the marine world, Teng has a long-term ambition to be the first Chinese skipper in the Volvo Ocean Race.

"A boat can sail along fine without a skipper, but for better results there should be a person to make a final decision," Teng says. "A skipper is the king on a boat, whose word is the law."

And while fond of "Pirates of the Caribbean," Teng says an eccentric skipper like Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, would never thrive today on a professional sailing boat.

"Everyone can choose whether to work with you or not," Teng said. "A skipper must be an experienced sailor and a good communicator."

He said that the dream is still far away, that he needs to learn a lot and realize it step by step.

"Maybe in my seventies I will want to have a boat and just enjoy the ocean in a tranquil way," Teng said.

"But for now I prefer the fight against the elements."