Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/826629
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 MAY 2017 II Motoring & Boating THE Volvo Ocean Race has unveiled its new vision to create professional sailing's ultimate all-round test. Highlights include the choice of a new 18.29 metre foil-as- sisted One Design ocean racing monohull, designed by France's Guillaume Verdier, plus the introduction of a challenging 10-15m One Design 'flying' catamaran for In-Port Races, for which a new design and build tender process was launched today. "Three hulls, but not what you might have imagined," said Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Mark Turner, said as he revealed the choice of the next generation One Design boats at a live event at the Volvo Museum in Goth- enburg this week. "We had a lot of debate about multihull versus monohull and, in fact, the final solution for us is to do both, so there will be three hulls in future editions – a foil-assisted monohull and a 'fly- ing' catamaran," he continued. "The Volvo Ocean Race has always been the ultimate test of a team in professional sport and with these changes – collectively the most radical since the race began in 1973 – we are taking it up another level," said Turner. "The obsession that has led to generations of sailors putting everything on the line to win this race will continue, but to lift the trophy will require more skill, dedication and sacrifice than ever." Several key issues were agreed upon at the Gothenburg event. Sailing's ultimate test: From the edition after 2017-18, the Volvo Ocean Race will be contested in a combination of a 60-foot foil-assisted monohull for the ocean legs and a 32-50 foot 'flying' catamaran for use in the In-Port Race Series. Foil-assisted monohull: The One Design monohull from French naval architect Guil- laume Verdier will use the latest generation foiling technology to make it incredibly fast to sail and spectacular to watch. Crew numbers are likely to be between five and seven, with incentives continuing for mixed male-female crews and youth sailors. Availability of new monohulls The race will build eight of the new monohulls and de- liver them from January 2019 onwards. They will be available to lease by teams to reduce campaign start-up costs, with sponsors involved in the current 2017-18 race to be given first option when Notice of Race and Commercial Participation Agreements are published this October. IMOCA compatibility: Uniquely, the design brief re- tains an option to allow the boat platform to be converted, inex- pensively and quickly, to a fully rules-compliant short-handed IMOCA boat. 'Flying' in-shore catamaran: Additionally, the race is launch- ing a tender process for a new One Design 32-50 foot 'flying' catamaran for use inshore – a boat that will use some of the technology familiar from the America's Cup and other new multihulls, albeit in a non-devel- opment One Design mode. A sustainable future The race has three pillars of action on sustainability – reduce its own footprint, maximise its impact using its global commu- nications platform, and leave a positive legacy wherever it goes. New racecourse and stopover formats: The race is planning big changes to the racecourse and stopover formats over the next decade – moves that aim to strengthen commer- cial appeal while preserving its sporting integrity. While the race is committed to two more starts from its home, and important partner, in Alicante, some future races could start and finish outside Europe, and potentially feature a non-stop leg around Antarctica or even a non-stop lap of the planet. But while routes may vary, the race will commit to visiting North America, South America, Aus- tralasia, Greater China, and at least 5 major European markets at least once every two editions. A pathway to the Volvo Ocean Race The race and its co-owners Volvo Car Group and Volvo Group will become official partners of World Sailing, as part of a long term strategic plan to develop the next genera- tion of offshore sailors and their sponsors by providing a clear developmental pathway. The race will establish Volvo Ocean Race Academies as part of future Host Venue partnerships and will also provide a stepping stone for future offshore sailors into the Olympics, if and when offshore sailing is included, which could be a showcase event as early at Tokyo 2020. 50th anniversary celebration The Volvo Ocean Race began life in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race and 2023 marks its half-century. The race is considering plans for a special 50th anniversary race that will honour the sailing legends who have taken part. Massive changes for the Volvo Ocean Race In the biggest shake up in its history, the Volvo Ocean Race has announced a series of radical initiatives, including introducing a new foil-assisted ocean racing monohull and a 'flying' catamaran for in-port races