Thanks for the additional info - the fact that the current generation is 30% stiffer is a phenomenal achievement. I’ve often wondered though, when you think back to the Volvo predecessor, The Whitbread and in particular the very first race with yachts like the Bowman 57 and Swan 65 which by modern standards are fairly heavy cruising boats, many of which are still sailing today, do you reckon the current crop of Volvo boats will still be sailing in 40 years time?
I don’t see a problem with any of these yachts lasting that long.
You just need a deep pocket to keep them in tip top condition.
Will they still be sailing in 40 years time?.. I wouldn’t like to put a wager on that!
As soon as they are “mothballed” or decommissioned in any way, it requires a huge amount of money, time and effort to resurrect them again…
What a mess! Because of piracy threats on leg 2, the teams will sail to an unknown destination (the public tracking will be stopped at some point) to be picked up on an armed ship. They will then be dropped near Abu Dhabi for a sprint. They will do the same thing for leg 3 on their way to China.
In a way, I can understand that these boats could be prime targets for a ransom. But then why go to Abu Dhabi in the first place as this threat is not a new thing in that region? I guess they sail were the money is!
of course I can’t imagine the extra costs associated with packing up the boats shipping them, and then unpacking them and setting them back up again… to race. not to mention the more you handle these boats, the greater the chances of damage.
I guess this is what happens when yacht racing is run by marketing teams rather than yachtsmen - it seems a sad reflection on society when this becomes necessary to generate sufficient funds.
Long gone are the days when the official round the world yacht ‘race’ was more about the challenge of getting round the world rather than going for an all out win. Ain’t technology great?!!
They are made by company in Northern part of Germany, have had my eye on one forever but @ 3500 Euro’s bit too rich for my pocket …maybe after VOR these maybe up for sale at special price, will keep my eye them and see what happens.
The fleet is now experiencing extreme conditions discribed as a bull ride. Sea sickness comes to mind :sick:. And there is some report of it! I understand that the effect is variable on each guy. But for the worst of them, will they feel sick as long as the conditions last or do they adapt after lets say a day? I can barely imagine how I could be fully fonctionnal and mind sharp for this very demanding job, expecially in those conditions, while being constantly nauseous and underfed!
while I have never been seasick or motion sick, my biggest issue wold be watching, hearing, and smelling the those what are sick. I do get ill when I see others getting sick. and if I smell it… I’m done…