the design for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015, 2017-2018

As presented today by Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad at the Lorient stopover, the current trend of Volvo Open 70 box rule boats has given incentive to drive costs upward in the teams' bids to win the trophy, resulting in a decreasing number of boats taking part in the race. To achieve sustainability for the future of the race, a greater number of teams must take part, therefore the race organisers have taken steps to control costs, resulting in the requirement for a one-design/one-builder. Bruce Farr & Associates have designed yachts for every Whitbread Round the World Race and Volvo Ocean Race since 1981, have won four of them, but have lost all the Volvo Open 70 box rule editions to yacht designer Juan Kouyoumdjian. Despite the latter's commitment to the Artemis Racing team design for their 72ft America's Cup wingsailed catamarans, it is surprising that he was not even called to tender a proposal for the new Volvo design, which has been awarded instead to Farr Yacht Design. The design remains a canting keel monohull, slightly smaller in length but with a distinctive wave-piercing bow, reverse sheer, a higher aspect rig, deeper appendages, and a larger coachroof with two companionways. Details below:
VOLVO OPEN 70 box rule 2005-2012Farr 65 one-design VOLVO 2014-2018
naval architecturemultiple designers: Farr Yacht Design, Juan Kouyoumdjian, Marcelino Botin, John Reichel/Jim Pugh, Rob Humphreysone designer: Farr Yacht Design
shipyardsmultiple builders: Killian Bushe, McConaghy Boats, Goetz Custom Boats, Green Marine, King Marine, Southern Ocean Marine, New England Boatworks, Cookson Boatworks, Multiplast, Persico, ML Boatworks, Hart Marine, Boatspeedone builder: a consortium of Persico, Multiplast and Decision building parts for assembly by Green Marine
Length Over All21.95m (72ft)
Length of Hull21.50m (70ft)20.40m (67ft)
Length On Deck19.80m (65ft)
beam5.70m (18.7ft)5.60m (18.4ft)
draught4.50m (14.8ft)4.70m (15.4ft)
keel40° canting40° canting
weight14,000kg—14,500kg10,750kg
bowsprit length1.82m (6ft)2.15m (7ft)
mast length31.50m (103.3ft)30.30m (99.40ft)
rig arrangementkeel-stepped mast, checkstays and running backstaysdeck-stepped mast, two backstays
freeboard amidships1.60m (5.2ft)1.72m (5.6ft)
mainsail area175m² (1,884sqft)151m² (1625sqft)
working headsail area200m² (2,153sqft)135m² (1453sqft) permanently hoisted jib
upwind sail area451m² (4855sqft), mainsail + masthead Code 0
downwind sail area550m² (5920sqft), mainsail + A3
number of sails10 (including stormsail)7 (including stormsail)
liquid ballast tanks1×1,600L after the aft bulkhead1×1,000L forward of the mast
2×800L aft under the cockpit and adjacent to the transom
crew10 + 1 media crew membermale: 8 + 1 media crew member
female: 10 + 1 media crew member
shore supportteam-specificshared and pooled
communicationsInmarsat Fleet Broadband FB500 (432kbps)Inmarsat Global Express (50mbps, projected)
all above graphics courtesy of © Farr Yacht Design

body plan, sheer plan, half-breadth plan and deck layout courtesy of © François Chevalier

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