vo70 sailboat

• AMERICA'S CUP
• CLASSIFIEDS
• NEWSLETTERS
• SUBMIT NEWS

The Volvo Ocean 70 is the state-of-the-art yacht used in the Volvo Ocean Race. The VO70 'ABN AMRO TWO' skippered by Sebastien Josse holds the monohull 24 hour record at 562.96 nautical miles averaging 23.45 knots.

• Latest videos, from 2023
• Oldest videos, from 2005 onwards
• Class Website

Show photos from latest 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

The Worldwide Leader in Sailmaking

• Sail Care & Repair
• Sailing Gear
• Find A Loft
• Sail Finder
• Custom Sails
• One Design Sails
• Flying Sails
• New Sail Quote
• 3Di Technology
• Helix Technology
• Sail Design
• AEROTECH Spinnaker Cloth
• NPL RENEW Sustainable Sailcloth
• Sailcloth & Material Guide
• Polo Shirts
• Sweaters & Cardigans
• Sweatshirts & Hoodies
• Accessories
• Shop the look
• Mid & Baselayers
• Deckwear & Footwear
• Luggage & Accessories
• Fall Winter '24
• North Sails x 37th America's Cup
• Sailor Jackets
• SALT X North Sails
• NS x Slowear
• T-shirts & Tops
• Sailor Jacket
• Sustainability
• North Sails Blog
• Sail Like A Girl
• 37th America's Cup
• Icon Sailor Jacket
• Our Locations
• Certified B Corporation
• North SUP Boards
• North Foils
• North Kiteboarding
• North Windsurfing

SAIL FINDER

SAILING GEAR

COLLECTIONS & COLLAB

COLLECTIONS

WE ARE NORTH SAILS

ACTION SPORTS

Popular Search Terms

Organic cotton

Scuba fleece

Drawstring hood

Utility pocket

Stand collar

Sorry, no results for ""

Subscription

Welcome aboard.

We want to make our emails as relevant as possible for you.

Interests saved

Something went wrong, please try again

Welcome to North Sails

Stay up to date with the latest North Sails news.

Receive a 10% discount code for your first apparel order. Excludes sails and SUP’s. See our Terms and Conditions .

Yes, I agree to the terms of use and privacy policy.

WIZARD'S WINNING RECIPE

Wizard’s winning recipe, a methodical approach to setup, schedule, and sail choices.

Peter and David Askew are on a hot streak with their VO70 Wizard in this year’s Atlantic Ocean Racing Series. They’ve won three of the five events in the series so far; RORC Caribbean 600, 2019 Transatlantic Race, and Rolex Fastnet Race. Their chance to complete the season with a sweep comes on October 19th, when the Rolex Middle Sea Race starts.

Winning ocean races is why the brothers purchased Wizard (the VO70 that won the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, as Groupama ) in 2017. As Peter puts it, “ Our entire program has been deliberately focused on winning.” That program started with a core team that raced a custom-built Reichel/Pugh 74 on the Great Lakes and won the Transpac Barn Door in 2013. Once the brothers set their sights on the Transatlantic Race, though, they knew they needed a canting keeler. Groupama , then sailing as Giacomo , was for sale in Sydney, Australia after winning overall honors in the 2016 Sydney Hobart Race. “Chris Larson from North Sails helped us put a group together to get the boat to the starting line of the 2017 Sydney Hobart Race, where we won our class,” Peter explains. “We then brought the boat back to the USA, did the 2018 Newport Bermuda Race, and won the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division.”

Next, boat captain Chris Maxted took apart and overhauled all the major components and systems, while the sailing team returned to the Great Lakes for another successful season on the R/P 74. Once the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 concluded, Charlie Enright and Phil Harmer rejoined the team. “It was at that point,” Peter explains, “that we decided to go after the AORS events, starting with the Caribbean 600 in February 2019. David and I knew full well we had a weapon with Wizard, and the right people in place.”

A combination of ocean-ready boat and crew, plus all their planning and preparation, is why they’ve posted such an impressive string of victories, he adds. “You have to go pretty far back in sailing history to find another boat that has been as successful as this particular Volvo 70. Maybe Dorade , but in the last 30 years, I don’t recall a boat being this dominant in the world’s most challenging ocean races. Over its life this won the Volvo Ocean Race as Groupama , the Sydney Hobart Race as Giacomo , and Newport-Bermuda Race, Caribbean 600, Transatlantic and Fastnet with our Wizard team. It’s an amazing run and the next challenge is the Middle Sea Race.”

“Are we pleasantly surprised by the string of victories?” Peter asks. “Of course, but we never set out to be second or third. Our goal of having a competitive program has been very deliberate. David and I are competitive guys, and we always play to win.”

Charlie Enright has worked closely with the Askews to methodically build a program that could handle a heavy schedule of offshore racing. “Most races are won before they even start,” Charlie reminds us. “ Wizard’s off-season and pre-race approach are to leave no stone unturned and to be efficient and rational with our decision-making. Chris Maxted does an exceptional job making sure the boat is ready to race.” The experienced crew includes Will Oxley, Rob Greenhalgh , Phil Harmer, and Mitch White; Phil won the VOR on the boat, and Mitch sailed a lot of miles under the Giacomo name.

“We have good sailors on our team,” Charlie continues, “but so do most of the other boats. The important thing is that we work well together. The boat is 75% American and 25% international, which is cool and somewhat rare.” And Team Wizard is only twelve people, while other similarly sized boats might have 20 crew. “A consistent, tight-knit group is key,” Charlie says. “When that gun does go off, we feel confident that we have as good a chance to win as anybody.”

Winning still takes sailing well and some good luck, he admits, “but the results are pretty consistent over the past year, regardless of what conditions we’ve been sailing in.”

The boat had done a lot of miles by the time the Askews bought her, but Charlie says they also used a methodical approach to replacing the inventory, initially a mix of 3Di Endurance and 3Di RAW . “Some programs take delivery, look at the year in which a particular sail was built, and just start replacing things sight unseen.” Instead, the team has been replacing “about one new sail an event,” which allows for learning and conceptual changes. For example, they’re now using a whisker pole reaching with the J0, a concept they took from the VO65s. The sail’s versatility allows the team to leave some other sails behind, Charlie adds. “It can take the place of the G1 in a pinch upwind. It comes at a rating hit because of its luff length, but we only really use it in events where there’s no real VMG.” Putting together the best sail package isn’t “voodoo,” Charlie laughs. “We just try to think logically about what we’re doing and the best sail package to get there.”

For the 2019 Fastnet, Wizard added a Helix Code Zero to power them through the light spots. “We used it to VMG downwind off of Start Point,” Charlie says, “and then used the same sail to help us upwind in the light spot east of the Scilly Islands.”

Designer Max Tringale worked on Wizard’s Code Zero. “The size target was similar to the boat’s older style cabled sail, with the goal to not reduce the area or change the sheeting location. By combining Helix with Load-Sharing Technology, we were able to design a lighter, flatter sail that works across a wider wind range.”

Over the past year, Max continues, there’s been “a tremendous amount of collaboration within the North Sails Design Team to develop our latest Helix mold shapes, allowing us to build the flattest and most efficient sail possible. The flying shapes produced, along with Load Sharing between a small luff cord and the sail itself, allows the luff of the sail to project away from the boat, instead of sagging aft and leeward like traditional cabled sails.”

Charlie confirms that the Helix sail can be carried through a wider range of conditions. “It’s lighter, and the luff is not constrained by the cable. We’re learning how to optimize adjustments, not only with the sheet and the tweaker but also with the tack line. The self-supporting sail structure for sure reduces tack load for a given flying shape.”

Charlie predicts that Wizard will see even more benefit from the Helix, once they upgrade the 2015 mast that came with the boat. “That said, we have definitely seen a performance bump by adding the Helix sail.”It’s also easier to put in the bag, and lighter to carry around.

“Peter and David like this kind of sailing because every race is different,” Charlie concludes. They’re really good about picking a goal, picking a tool, and surrounding themselves with the right people. That’s why they’ve been able to achieve such good results in the last couple of years. I’m proud of what we have accomplished—we’ve got a good thing going.”

Peter agrees, and he’s optimistic that their hard work will continue to pay off in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. “ We will approach the final AORS event as we have the others, and see where it shakes out.”

GET IN TOUCH

REQUEST A QUOTE

BROWSE ALL SAILS

FIND YOUR SAIL

Latest north sails news.

17 September

FOUR KEY COMPONENTS TO OFF-SEASON SAIL CARE

16 September

AEROTECH FAQ

08 September

NORTH SAILS POWERS VICTORY AT THE 2023 SIX METRE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

• Refresh page

How It Works - Volvo Open 70 Offshore Sailboat

THE ROUND-THE-GLOBE VOLVO OCEAN RACE pits the world's most advanced sailboats against the world's worst weather -- gale-force storms, mountainous seas and sweltering doldrums. The seven Volvo Open 70s (70-ft. racing sloops) preparing to start the 32,000-mile, nine-leg rally from Spain on Nov. 5 make up the fastest class of monohulls ever built. In Apri 2005, a VO70 sailed a record 530 miles in 24 hours, topping out at 39 knots. For the 11-man crews, speed has risks. "It's like being on a runaway train -- you never know what's in front of you," says Peter Merrington, a watch captain the last time the race was run, in 2001. "You just hope nothing breaks."

Click here for a Web-only interview with former racers Peter Merrington and Katie Pettibone.

1 -- Instruments Masthead pod measures wind speed and direction. LCDs on the mast and on deck display the data. Navigators watch wind, course and boat speed on a wireless tablet PC.

2 -- Sails Kevlar yarns laminated onto Mylar films save weight by placing fibers only along paths of stress. Sails are strong enough to hold shape under load -- and endure months of sunlight, salt spray and mechanical abuse. Full sail area can produce up to 400 hp.

3 -- Rigging Kevlar and PBO (polybenzoxazole) stays supporting the mast are 200 pounds lighter than steel stays. Sail control lines use low-stretch Spectra, Vectran, Kevlar and PBO cores to handle loads over 10,000 pounds -- equal to hoisting two Hummer H3s on one 5/8-in. line.

4 -- Spars Carbon-fiber mast, boom and bowsprit are shaped to reduce drag and increase strength. Every pound at the top of the 100-ft. mast requires an extra 10 pounds of keel bulb weight (see "") to keep the boat upright.

5 -- Deck Safety hood prevents 30-knot rivers of seawater from flooding hatches. At night and in storms, on-deck crew wears harnesses tethered to attachment points spread around the boat.

6 -- Communications 64Kbps voice and data satellite links download weather data, which computers combine with GPS, compass and instrument feeds to plot the fastest course. It's rarely a straight line: Boats have unique performance characteristics, and weather changes, so routes cover more miles, but at higher speeds.

7 -- Twin wheels The helmsman can stand outboard for visibility and a second driver can "ride shotgun" (assist on the spare wheel) in storms.

8 -- Cameras Seven fixed cameras and a wearable head-cam wirelessly transmit a rolling 2-minute video loop to hard drives. Red "panic buttons" on deck save the footage to be uploaded via satellite for TV and Web coverage.

9 -- Crash box Watertight bulkhead 8 ft. behind the bow prevents catastrophic flooding in case of a collision with an iceberg, a whale or one of thousands of shipping containers lost at sea.

10 -- Hull Carbon-fiber, epoxy and Nomex honeycomb core form a hull half the weight of a similar fiberglass hull, yet twice as strong. Thin bow slices through chop; wide, flat stern helps planing.

11 -- Retractable daggerboards Prevent leeway (sideslipping) by providing lateral force (lift) when keel is canted. Bright orange color increases visibility in the event of a capsize.

An aft trim ballast tank (12) helps the boat surf by gulping up to 315 gal. (2600 pounds) of seawater, which raises the bow out of a stormy sea. "You can push the boat hard without doing a nose dive," Merrington says. Accommodations below deck are spartan: 10 berths (13) , galley (kitchen) (14) with a gas stove and a sink, head (toilet) (15) , and navigation and media stations (16) . The crew shares the leftover 400 sq. ft. of space with wet sails, engine and retractable drive unit (17) , fuel tank, water tanks, generator, batteries, and keel and daggerboard hydraulics (18) .

Instead of the fixed, lead fin found on most sailboats, VO70s use a 10,000-pound lead bulb at the end of a 14-ft. blade, to counteract heel -- the boat's tendency to tip over. Hydraulic rams can cant the keel up to 40 degrees from vertical, doubling the effect of the bulb, keeping the boat level, and conserving wind energy otherwise lost off the top of the sail. "It's like driving a Porsche compared to a truck," says Katie Pettibone, a watch captain during the 2001 race.

The 8 Best Solar-Powered Generators

The 6 Best First Aid Kits

The Best Hotels Near Zion National Park

22 Great Grill Accessories for Better Barbecues

Best RV Solar Panels for Self-Sufficient Power

Surviving the Inevitable Summer Power Outage

The 7 Best Camping Lanterns to Light Up the Night

15 Countries Worth Visiting for an Epic Drive

These Insulated Yeti Products are On Sale

The Best Emergency Kits for Help in Any Situation

10 Best Tackle Boxes and Bags

Best Motorcycle Camping Gear

• New Sailboats
• Sailboats 21-30ft
• Sailboats 31-35ft
• Sailboats 36-40ft
• Sailboats Over 40ft
• Sailboats Under 21feet
• used_sailboats
• Apps and Computer Programs
• Communications
• Fishfinders
• Handheld Electronics
• Plotters MFDS Rradar
• Wind, Speed & Depth Instruments
• Anchoring Mooring
• Running Rigging
• Sails Canvas
• Standing Rigging
• Diesel Engines
• Off Grid Energy
• Cleaning Waxing
• DIY Projects
• Repair, Tools & Materials
• Spare Parts
• Tools & Gadgets
• Cabin Comfort
• Ventilation
• Footwear Apparel
• Foul Weather Gear
• Mailport & PS Advisor
• Inside Practical Sailor Blog
• Activate My Web Access
• Reset Password
• Customer Service

• Free Newsletter

Blue Jacket 40 Used Boat Review

Catalina 270 vs. The Beneteau First 265 Used Boat Match-Up

Ericson 41 Used Boat Review

Mason 33 Used Boat Review

How to Create a Bullet-Proof VHF/SSB Backup

Tips From A First “Sail” on the ICW

Tillerpilot Tips and Safety Cautions

Best Crimpers and Strippers for Fixing Marine Electrical Connectors

Polyester vs. Nylon Rode

Getting the Most Out of Older Sails

How (Not) to Tie Your Boat to a Dock

Stopping Mainsheet Twist

Fuel Lift Pump: Easy DIY Diesel Fuel System Diagnostic and Repair

Ensuring Safe Shorepower

Sinking? Check Your Stuffing Box

What Do You Do With Old Fiberglass Boats?

Boat Repairs for the Technically Illiterate

Boat Maintenance for the Technically Illiterate

Whats the Best Way to Restore Clear Plastic Windows?

Stopping Holding-tank Odors

Giving Bugs the Big Goodbye

Galley Gadgets for the Cruising Sailor

The Rain Catcher’s Guide

Sailing Gear for Kids

What’s the Best Sunscreen?

UV Clothing: Is It Worth the Hype?

Preparing Yourself for Solo Sailing

R. Tucker Thompson Tall Ship Youth Voyage

On Watch: This 60-Year-Old Hinckley Pilot 35 is Also a Working…

On Watch: America’s Cup

On Watch: All Eyes on Europe Sail Racing

Dear Readers

• Safety & Seamanship

Offshore Log: The Volvo Open 70

This new class of round-the-world racers has just been introduced. the boats will be designed for even more speed than their 60-foot predecessors, but also engineered for more safety..

by Nick Nicholson

PS editor at large Nick Nicholson is part of the Rule Management Group for the Volvo Ocean Race. In this article, he discusses safety features of the new Volvo Open 70, the carbon fiber, can’ting-keel hotrod that will be used for the 2005 Volvo Ocean Race.

———-

In November 5, 2005, an elite fleet of racing sailboats will depart a southern Mediterranean port, bound on a 31,000-mile odyssey, racing around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race. These 70-foot sloops—the Volvo Open 70s—will be the fastest offshore monohulls of their size ever built.

At about 26,000 pounds, they will also be among the lightest big ocean racers ever conceived. With their huge sail plans—a masthead 100 feet off the water, mainsails of 1,880 square feet, masthead spinnakers of 5,380 square feet—these can’ting-keel boats will have power-to-weight ratios more like racing motorcycles than oceangoing sailboats.

The nine to eleven men and women who make up each crew will be the best and toughest sailors on earth. And ironically, the thought and planning that have gone into the development of this class will make them some of the safest sailors on the planet.

Ocean racing is always a risky endeavor, and that will not change for the Volvo Ocean Race. What is different about the Volvo Open 70 is that an inordinate amount of effort has gone into creating a boat that is not only blindingly fast, but as safe as an ocean racer can be.

Volvo is an inherently conservative company whose success as an automaker is irrevocably linked to safety issues. The concept of a boat with cutting-edge performance may not seem to fit in with a company known for preoccupation with safety. A closer look at the Volvo Open 70 rule, however, reveals an underlying theme: creating an ocean racer that is as safe as it is fast. This is a significant difference when compared to other high-performance sailing craft. How designers reconcile the safety requirements of the rule with the demand for high performance will be a key to the success of the Volvo 70.

There are two basic elements to safety for any offshore boat: the ability to stay afloat in the event of serious damage to the hull, and resistance to capsize (plus its concomitant: the ability to self-right in the event of capsize).

Watertight Integrity Oceangoing boats run a perpetual risk of collision with floating objects: trees, shipping containers, and ice. On our voyage around the world in Calypso, we stayed in temperate and tropical waters, with no risk of collision with ice. Shipping containers were a constant concern, however, as were other forms of floating debris.

While we were sailing from French Polynesia to Tonga, a ship lost several hundred containers overboard—a more common occurrence than you may imagine—a few days ahead of us, almost directly in our path. There was no way to know how many of these were still afloat (even a full shipping container is usually buoyant if it’s watertight) along our route.

Likewise, in the Indian Ocean hundreds of miles south of Bangladesh, we passed huge floating trees and logs, some 40 feet or more in length and two feet in diameter, which could sink almost any normal cruising boat. These had washed down rivers during flooding, and could survive, just awash and almost invisible, for years.

It’s one thing to nudge up against a floating object at a knot or so (think of impacts you may have had during poorly executed landings alongside a dock), and quite another to hit the same object head-on while traveling 25 knots.

It’s pretty much impossible to design a high-performance sailboat that will survive major impacts without damage. After all, even the steel, “unsinkable” Titanic proved no match for an iceberg. The Volvo 70s will, almost inevitably, encounter ice in high latitudes. The risk of collision is real.

The Volvo Open 70 rule requires subdivision of the hull into a series of at least six watertight compartments, on the theory that impact damage is likely to be localized in a collision.

Four of the watertight compartments are in the forward part of the boat—the area most likely to be damaged. A diagonal collision bulkhead is the first line of defense, creating a sacrificial bow section outside the main structural part of the hull. In the last Volvo Ocean Race, a collision between two of the boats while racing, during an inexplicable port/starboard incident, showed that a collision chamber could provide some degree of protection.

Each movable appendage—including the can’ting ballast keel—must be in its own watertight compartment, so that damage to the appendage will not compromise the watertight integrity of the hull. In the case of sliding foils such as daggerboards, the appendages are likely to be housed in open-top trunks which go all the way to the deck, similar to those seen in Open 60 class boats (see photo, next page).

Within the hull, the watertight bulkheads must have hinged doors that can be shut within five seconds, and fully dogged in less than a minute. To prevent crewmembers from being trapped below, there must be direct access to the deck from inside most watertight compartments.

There are other unusual characteristics related to watertight integrity. The first is the requirement for a watertight cover plate for the mast opening in the event the mast goes over the side. This collar must be capable of being installed from the interior, so that in the event of mast and keel loss—certainly a worst-case scenario—you can block off the mast opening from inside an inverted, keel-less hull.

Just try to imagine yourself in this nightmare scenario: The mast has snapped in an uncontrolled broach at 30 knots, and the keel is wrenched off in the capsize that follows. You now have a boat that is in “stable two” position, and has a big hole in the deck where the mast used to be. (In practice, masts usually break well above deck, so the original mast boot is likely to still be in place.)

In the chaos below, you have to find and install the “mast hatch.” At least you have a dedicated cover for the mast hole, and you know where it is and how it works.

Interestingly, there must also be at least one deck hatch that is at least six inches above the inverted waterplane for emergency exit in the event of capsize without having to force a hatch open against a head of water. We don’t like to think about this kind of scenario, either, but it doesn’t go away by ignoring the possibility.

Stability Resistance to capsize has always been a major concern for any oceangoing sailboat, and the Volvo 70 is no exception. Resistance to capsize is also one of the more controversial subjects you can bring up, whether discussing racing boats or cruisers. How far should a boat be able to be knocked down and still come up on the same side?

For cruising boats, Practical Sailor has traditionally recommended a range of positive stability of 120 degrees for offshore boats. The problem for many cruising boats is that the designed range of positive stability is usually compromised by the time a boat heads to sea. Weight added to most cruising boats tends to reduce the range of positive stability by raising the center of gravity. Think of dinghies on deck or on davits, outboard motors on the stern rail, biminis, radars, wind generators—all these are well above the vertical center of gravity of the boat, and will reduce the range of positive stability as well as reducing initial stability. You may start out with a boat with a perfectly acceptable range of positive stability, but have a dangerously top-heavy boat by the time you actually leave the dock.

Racers are keenly aware of this problem, and avoid weight up high like the plague. Cruisers would do well to think a little more about it.

There is a perpetual conflict in the design of offshore racing boats: the desire for sail-carrying power in a breeze—which requires a fair amount of stability from some combination of hull shape and ballast in some form—and the desire for minimum wetted surface and lighter displacement both to reduce total resistance in lighter conditions and speed up acceleration in all wind conditions.

The Volvo 60s used in the last Volvo Ocean Race derived much of their sail-carrying power from water ballast, which has a function similar to putting a lot of crew weight on the rail. Of course, in a fairly shorthanded ocean race it isn’t practical to have a lot of crew sitting on the rail—people have to eat, sleep, and sail the boat in shifts.

The downside of water ballast is that it increases the boat’s displacement when in use, which can have the effect of slowing acceleration. Big water ballast systems also require heavy, fairly complex transfer systems.

The new Volvo 70s will derive a lot of their sailing stability from a can’ting keel. To put it simply, the keel fin and bulb may swing through an 80-degree arc (40 degrees each side of centerline). This is done with big hydraulic rams which are capable of holding the 9,900-pound keel bulb (plus fin) at any angle. Canted 40 degrees to windward, the bulb will give incredible righting moment to the boat. Canted slightly to leeward in extremely light air, the boat can be heeled to keep the sails full.

For safety reasons, two independent methods of can’ting the keel are required, each capable of holding the bulb at any position throughout its arc. In addition, there must be a quick-release system which allows the keel to swing back into its normal position.

A huge amount of thought has gone into the redundancy requirements for can’ting keels. These will not be inexpensive bits of engineering, but a lot of that effort will go directly into structural engineering applicable to other offshore racers and high-performance cruising boats. It will not be wasted money.

The Volvo Open 70 rule requires a minimum angle of vanishing stability of 115 degrees. This angle will be calculated with all appendages in their worst possible positions—the ballast keel fully can’ted to leeward, for example.

It will be interesting to see exactly what hull forms develop to meet this difficult requirement. Although 115 degrees may not sound like a big deal, it’s going to be a lot for a light-displacement boat with a can’ting keel.

Self-Righting Test Here’s a scary one for you. Before certification as a Volvo Open 70, a boat must pass a self-righting test. This is not as innocuous as it sounds, and it’s bloody important.

This is what we’re going to do: First, we’ll pull the rig out of the boat, and seal off all openings in the deck. Then we’re going to turn the boat over. Not just heel the boat, but capsize it to a fully inverted position. This will probably be done with a crane and straps to roll the boat over. Now we have a fully inverted boat with the keel and rudder sticking up in the air.

Then the fun begins. The skipper and two members of the crew have to enter the boat (remember the hatch that’s above the inverted waterline?), and from the inside, turn the boat right-side up. The only device they can use for this exercise is the movement of appendages, primarily by can’ting the keel to one side to tip the boat. They can’t flood compartments to heel the boat to assist in this exercise.

Obviously, this is going to be a test of the skills of the designers and engineers, as well as the resolve of the crew.

While writing this portion of the rule, we half-seriously discussed requiring the designer to be part of the self-righting crew, but decided that it was more important to have someone who was going to sail the boat do the hard work.

Virtually everyone has seen photos of inverted ocean racers, keels pointed to the sky. This is not the kind of image Volvo wants to project. Proving that a boat can be righted by the crew from complete inversion is consistent with Volvo’s concept that the boats can be both very fast and very safe.

Personal Safety Most sailors who die in the ocean are lost after falling overboard. Anyone who has sailed offshore realizes just how difficult it would be to recover a crewmember lost overboard, even in the best of conditions.

Unfortunately, people usually go overboard in the worst conditions, not the best. Recovery is a hard enough job in a cruising boat going six knots. Imagine falling overboard from an ocean racer going 30 knots in 20-foot seas.

The International Sailing Federation’s Special Regulations governing offshore and oceanic racing have for years been the offshore sailor’s guide to boat preparation and personal safety. For the Volvo Ocean Race, these regulations have been taken even further, with modifications to the Special Regs designed to further enhance personal safety. Here are some examples.

Safety harnesses used in the Volvo race must be equipped with crotch straps and reflective tape, and both ends of tethers must be equipped with snap hooks for quick release under load. Spare tethers for 30% of the crew must be carried, as well as one complete spare harness.

Life jackets must be inflatables—no rigid flotation—and must be equipped with crotch straps. Inflatable life jackets are required in recognition of the fact that they are more likely to be worn in extreme conditions than more bulky units with rigid flotation.

One of the more interesting personal safety requirements is a “constant wear” survival suit for each member of the crew. These are intended as a cross between offshore foul weather gear and conventional immersion survival suits.

Conventional survival suits provide good protection when you’re in the water, but are awkward to don and severely limit mobility. The constant wear survival suit is intended as a set of working foul weather gear as well as an immersion suit. It will almost certainly be equipped with a high-performance inflatable life jacket.

These suits may be fitted with secondary closures that convert it from foul weather gear to survival suit. They must have large areas of reflective tape, and may integrate other items of equipment such as safety harnesses, life jackets, whistles, and lights into the design.

There is not much available at this time that exactly meets this specification. Volvo hopes that foul weather gear manufacturers will come up with a new type of survival clothing to solve the problem—a solution that will be available to offshore sailors in general, not just elite offshore racers.

Another personal safety solution that has immediate implications for offshore cruisers is the requirement for man-overboard locator beacons, with on-boat direction-finding equipment. These were first required during the last Volvo Ocean Race, but we expect that more sophisticated solutions will appear for the next race.

Essentially, each crew member will wear a small radio transmitter which will be activated either manually or by immersion to a certain pressure. Permanently-mounted direction finding equipment on board will lead the boat back to the man or woman in the water.

While this equipment already exists, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Both the transmitting and receiving antennas can be functionally limited by high seas—just when the equipment is likely to be needed.

For the typical cruising couple, refinement of this type of location system would be a huge relief. Sailing double-handed offshore, only one person is on deck a large percentage of the time. If that person goes overboard while the other is asleep, it could be hours before the off-watch crew knows there is a problem. By then, it may be too late.

Another required piece of personal emergency gear is a remotely-operated man-overboard button at the helm station. This button will activate an instant waypoint on the belowdecks GPS, saving invaluable seconds in an emergency. No one will have to rush to the nav station to hit the button on the GPS.

The huge advantage of this for cruising sailors is obvious. Rule number one in a man-overboard situation is to keep the victim in sight. Running below for even a few seconds to hit the MOB button can take you a hundred yards away from the person in the water. One wave of separation from the boat is all it takes in severe conditions to lose sight of someone in the water.

Personal Training To makes sure that every boat in the Volvo Ocean Race is properly equipped, the race organizers will supply an extensive medical kit. It is required that at least two members of the crew for each leg of the race have current certification sufficient for first-provider care for accidents or other medical emergencies.

Very few cruising boats have properly thought-out medical kits, and disappointingly few cruisers—other than medical professionals—have the skills to properly use what medical supplies are on board.

The Volvo Race requires two trained persons on board in case one of them is the person injured or sick. If only one half of a cruising couple has any medical training, you have a 50-50 chance that the trained person will be the one requiring attention in a medical emergency. These are bad odds.

Throughout the US, the American Red Cross and other organizations offer low-cost medical emergency training such as CPR, first aid, and first responder care. If you and your significant other are headed offshore, first head for a few days of emergency medical training. It’s just as important as learning to sail.

Conclusions Sailing offshore at speeds of 25 knots, pushing a boat as hard as possible no matter how bad the conditions, is about as risky as offshore sailing can get. For Volvo, meeting the seemingly contradictory goals of high levels of performance and high levels of safety is seen as a challenge, not as an obstacle. In the design of the new Volvo Open 70, Volvo has upped the ante to a level meant to be the ultimate challenge for designers, builders, and sailors.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Safeguarding Sailors via Passage Guardian

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Log in to leave a comment

Latest Videos

Cabo Rico 34 Boat Review

Super Shallow Draft Sailboat: The Leeboard Sharpie

Hans Christian 41T – Boat Review

Seven dead after superyacht sinks off Sicily. Was the crew at...

Latest sailboat review.

• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell My Personal Information
• Online Account Activation
• Privacy Manager

• Sailing Skills Clinics
• ICC – International Certificate of Competence
• Caribbean SCV Boatmaster
• Commercial Endorsement
• Joining Instructions
• Caribbean Yacht Charter
• Caribbean Islands Guide
• Cruising Options
• Course ‘n’ Cruise
• Classic Yacht Charter
• Racing Yachts
• Introduction
• 5 hour Private Lunch Cruise
• 6 hour Private Half Day Cruise
• 8 hour Private Full Day Cruise
• “Just the Two of You”
• “Ladies that Lunch”
• “Cruise Ship Special”
• “Just Plain Sailing”
• Local Accommodation Suggestions
• Travel Information
• Bookharbour Online Store
• Gift Vouchers
• Client Feedback
• Our Mission Statement
• The Miramar Team
• Our Yacht Phoenix – Grand Soleil 46.3
• Our Yacht Miramar – Beneteau Oceanis 400

Volvo 70 – Green Dragon

Email: [email protected]»   Tel: +1 (268) 721 3456   Green Dragon was specifically built as the Irish entry in the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race, in which she finished 5th. In 2012 she took line honours in the Round Ireland Race. Check out her programme below. We are delighted to have this exciting, pedigree racing yacht in the fleet. She has capacity on deck for 15 race crew plus 5 guests, and accommodation below for up to 12.

The Volvo 70 is the former class of racing yachts designed for the Volvo Ocean Race. It was first used in the 2005–06 race (replacing the Volvo 60 yachts which were first used in 1993) and uses sliding daggerboards and a canting keel which is capable of canting transversely up to an angle of 40 degrees.

To book this yacht for charter please Email us for availability and price.  

Green Dragon Specifications

• Draft: 4.5m / 14.8ft
• Mast: 31.5m / 103.3ft
• Displacement: 14,000kg / 30,870lb
• Depth (canting keel): 4.5m / 14.8ft
• Ballast: 7,400kg / 16,320lb
• Mainsail: 175m² / 1,883sq’
• Storm Jib: 35m² / 376sq’
• Jib: 825,25m²/ 883sq’
• Jib: 94m² / 1,011sq’
• Gennaker: 300m² / 3229sq’
• Spinnaker (Masthead): 500m² / 5,381sq’
• Spinnaker (Fractional Rig): 350m² / 3,767sq’
• Storm Trysail: 41m² / 441sq’

Whole Boat Package

• Owners representative.
• Race prepared yacht.
• 2 familiarisation and training days.
• Clean hull.
• 8 minimum charter crew if experienced, more if not.
• Basic on board accommodation – 12 berths including representative.
• Green Dragon does not add single berth charter crew to whole boat charters.

Single Berth Package

• Race prepared yacht
• Event entry fee.
• Berthing costs.
• Yacht fuel.
• Water tanks empty for regattas and full for offshore racing
• All safety gear.
• Discounts: 5% for 2. Increment discount by +0.5% for each crew up to 10% for 12 .

Miramar sailing is now owned by SECOND STAR SAILING !

Still proudly based on the stunning island of Antigua, with our beautiful office in Jolly Harbour Marina.

We’re continuing to do what we love most—offering top-notch RYA sailing and Powerboating courses, ADOMS Boatmaster training, all-female Women at the Helm courses, as well as fun Day Cruises and exciting Racing adventures!

VISIT THE NEW WEBSITE

Lost Your Password?

Registration is disabled

Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze

€ 2,600.00 – € 5,500.00

Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze, formerly Telefonica Blue and Sanya Lan, competed in the 2008-2009 and 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race Round the World and is under new ownership since the summer of 2020. She is a high-end Volvo 70 in excellent condition and set-up for winning.

You now have the opportunity to charter her as a whole boat for high-end races and corporate events or some races and deliveries are open to individuals.

The boat comes with a professional skipper, and up to 2-4 professional crew members depending on your needs. She can take up to 20 people for offshore racing and cruising and 25 for inshore racing and cruising. The boat is located in Vigo, Spain. However, the boat can be relocated anywhere to suit your requirements for races and voyages.

• Description

Additional information

• Reviews (0)

Product Description

• About your skipper
• Terms & Conditions

History Volvo 70

The Volvo 70 Ocean Race Yacht is a class of racing yachts designed for the Volvo Ocean Race. It was first used in the 2005–06 race and replaced the Volvo Ocean 60 Yachts, which were first raced in 1993. The Volvo Ocean 70 uses a Canting keel which is capable of canting transversely up to an angle of 40 degrees.

The Volvo Open 70 race rules are similar to those of a Formula One race team, as there is not a specific yacht design but a set of rules which competing yachts need to adhere to.

Ocean Breeze, formerly Telefonica Blue is a second-generation Volvo Ocean Race boat. She became 3rd in the 2008-2009 Ocean Race, sailing under the Spanish flag with Dutch Skipper Bouwe Bekking. After the race, the boat was sold to an Irish/Chinese Team. “ Sanya Lan ” became 6th in the 2011-2012 VOR Race with Skipper Mike Sanderson. The boat has undergone a total refit in 2016 and 2018.

Ocean Breeze is under new ownership since 2020.

Specifications

Builder: King Marine Hull Designer: Bruce Farr Model: Volvo 70 Year Built: 2007 LOA: 21.50m / 70,53ft Beam: 5.70m / 18,70ft Draft: 4.50m / 14.76ft Width: 4.50m / 14,76ft Mast: 31,50m /103,35ft Keel weight: 4900 kg / 10,803 lbs Displacement: 14500kg / 31,967lbs Engine: 1 Volvo D2 (75hp) Diesel Top Speed: 37 knots Sail Area: over 500 m2

Accommodation

Sail inventory ocean breeze.

• Code 0: 3Di
• G2: 3Di TBC
• A3: Cuben Fibre
• A5: Cuben Fibre
• Try Sail: Spectra
• Storm Jib: Spectra

The maximum crew for offshore racing is 20 and for inshore racing 25. The boat comes with a professional skipper, and up to 2 or 3 crew members depending on your needs.

The aim is to deliver a great experience to everybody onboard, first-time sailors or more experienced sailors and not too win in spite of everything. Johannes is happy to let you do anything on board and he is there to assist you. You will be an active team member and not just a passenger.

When day racing there will be two days of training. The first day consists of familiarisation with the boat and during the second day, you will go trough sailing manoeuvres and procedures.

For a longer offshore race ideally, there are 4 days of training and preparation. On day 1 there is a briefing for half a day. On the second day, you will go through manoeuvres and procedures. On day 3 there will we some serious training and the day before the race there will be no sailing but the boat will be prepared for the race.

While racing we have prepared or freeze-dried food on board so we are suited for all conditions and can focus on performance.

Watch System

During a longer offshore race, there will be a watch system of two watches consisting of 4 hours during the day and 3 hours during the night.

The maximum crew for offshore sailing is 20 and for inshore sailing 25. The boat comes with a professional skipper, and up to 2 or 3 crew members depending on your needs. You will be an active crew member and not just a passenger.

We usually cook onboard unless you want to have the Ocean Race experience with freeze-dried food.

During a longer distance voyage, there will be two watches of 2×6 hours during the day and 3×4 hours during the night. In demanding conditions we switch to a watch system of 3×4 during the day and 3×4 during the night. But we try to avoid demanding conditions and we will use the engine to escape from wind shadows around island capes for example.

Johannes Schwarz

Johannes Schwarz is a very experienced Volvo 60 and 70 skipper and sail trainer and logged more than 250000 NM offshore. He flourishes in guiding and training young talents and is very patient. Johannes is a great motivator for sailors and teams and is leading them safely across oceans and race courses.  Johannes is also a promotor of women in sailing. In the first Volvo Legend Race in 2011, he raced on Volvo 60 Cuba Libre with an all-female team consisting of former Volvo Ocean Race competitors.

Johannes logged more than 250.000 offshore miles on 50-footers, Volvo 60’s and Volvo 70s. He started his career running his own sailing and windsurfing school. In 1990 he initiated the first Austrian Whitbread Challenge project and run that for 8 years as technical director. He competed as skipper in the Hongkong Challenge Round the World Race (first participation of an Austrian team at a round-the-world race). From 2006 Johannes owned and skippered several Volvo 60’s and 70’s, starting with VO60 ASSA ABLOY (2005-2008), additionally running and racing VO60 Tokio2 (2007-2010), VO60 Cuba Libre (ex Heineken) (2010-2015), and VO70 Green Dragon from 2015. From 2018 on he is additionally running and racing Volvo 70 E1 ex Ericsson and from 2019 Volvo 70 Monster Project, ex Kosatka.

The aim is to deliver a great experience to everybody onboard, first-time sailors or more experienced sailors and not to win in spite of everything. Johannes is happy to let you do anything on board and he is there to assist you. You will be an active team member and not just a passenger. Ocean Breeze is despite this a very serious candidate for winning races as she is a Volvo 70 in top condition.

Skills besides sailing

• Rigging and mechanics, sail repair, splicing, electrics, electronics
• Languages: German, English, Croatian
• Education: 3 Years at the University of Agronomics

R&D Fuel cells, solar systems, biodiesel, general technical consultant, several patents and sailor.

Terms and conditions

• Flights, visas and transfers to and from the yacht
• Your Covid-19 testing
• Your travel and racing insurance
• Accommodation onshore
• Personal sailing gear and wet weather gear
• Food and drinks when racing and training on the boat
• The race entrance fee if there is any
• Marina fees
• Water and Diesel

GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR S/Y Ocean Breeze

An agreement between

The Charterer:                                                (PRINT)

The Charter Company:                                             representing Solvis GmbH

THE PACKAGE

Event or Cruise: Package Dates: Maximum Crew Number: 20 for offshore and 25 for inshore sailing Joining Port: Disembarkation Port: Package Price:

THE BOOKING

The booking is binding and applicable to the Charterer. Transfer of the booking to another person is only possible following written consent of the Charter Company and receipt of a completed Conditions of Booking Contract from the transferee.

A charter is secured upon receipt of a deposit of 50% of the Package Price. The balance due date will be not later than 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package.

CANCELLATION

In case of cancellation by the Charterer the following charges are made:

• Up to 6 months prior to the commencement of the Package: 30% of the Package Price
• Less than 10 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package: 50% of the Package Price
• Less than 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package: 70% of the Package Price
• Between 6 weeks and 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package: 90 % of the Package Price
• Less than 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package: 100 % of the Package Price

If the Charterer fails to wholly or partly complete the Package, there is no pro-rata refund given.

Participation in the Package is not possible until all payments have been received.

THE CHARTER COMPANY

Is entitled to withdraw from this agreement if its implementation is impossible by special circumstances, such as unavoidable unavailability of the intended vessel or a replacement vessel, by the unavailability of the planned number of participants of 7 people, strikes, natural disasters, epidemics, war, civil unrest sovereign assemblies, damage, heavy weather or similar serious events. In case of cancellation by the Charter Company for any of these reasons, the Charterer will be refunded a pro-rata daily rate without interest for that proportion of the Package Dates outstanding after the date and time on which the loss or disablement occurred without any deduction of a processing fee.

Further claims against the Charter Company and/or Charter Agent, for whatever reason, are excluded.

The Charter Company has a yacht and P&I insurance and is insured against all liabilities. However, the Charter Company will not accept any liability in case of damage or injury, due to whatever cause. There is no insurance coverage on board for baggage and valuables. The Charterer is required to provide their own insurance for travel and accident (including emergency transport evacuation) that covers yacht racing.

In the case of delay by weather or accident, no liability is assumed by the Charter Company and/or Charter Agent. In departure and arrival ports not specified in the Package, claims against the Charter Company and/or Charter Agent are excluded.

THE CHARTERER

The Charterer may invite up to 18 additional guests to operate as crew for the event.

The Charterer represents their guests as a single entity for the purposes of this agreement and signs on their behalf.

For insurance purposes, each guest is insured for at least 15 minutes with clothing to swim in deep water without a flotation device, providing the Charterer agrees by signing this agreement that they are in good health and do not suffer from contagious diseases, and do not suffer seizures. ALL health conditions MUST BE NOTIFIED in writing to the Charter Company prior to joining the Yacht.

The Charterer is participating in a sporting event and has no agreement for either carriage or a package holiday.

The Charterer’s guests are on board as Crew Members, not passengers and participate at their own risk in all sailing and related activities, and each is fully responsible for himself/herself.

The Charterer’s guests shall take all necessary precautions for his/her own person, for example, putting on the life vest, clipping on above and below deck, transfer from the vessel to shore, etc.

The Charterer commits to comply with all applicable regulations on board and accepts that animals, weapons and illegal substances are not allowed on board. Furthermore, the Charterer agrees that there is no consumption of alcohol on board during navigation, neither the Charterer and his guests may be alcoholised when departing for navigation.

The Charterer’s guests accept that in all ship manoeuvres and the usual work onboard a yacht they will take part to the best of their ability. It is agreed that at all times during the Package they will be helpful and considerate to all Crew Members.

In the event of malfunctions, the Charterer’s guests are obliged to do everything reasonable to help rectify the problem and to minimize possible damages.

All costs and damages arising from the non-observance of passport, visa, customs, currency and health regulations, shall be borne by the Charterer who is advised to establish the implications of local regulations.

Acceptance of the Yacht shall imply the Yacht, its equipment, fixtures and fittings and sail wardrobe are in proper working order.

THE CHARTER COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE

The task of the Representative is to sail the yacht with the help of the Charterers, as well as to take sole responsibility for the navigation and seamanship. The Representative alone has the responsibility to make decisions that affect the safety of the charterers and yacht. The Representative has all rights and obligations in accordance with the valid law of the sea. All Package destinations may be changed due to weather conditions at the discretion of the Representative.

THE PACKAGE PRICE

Is inclusive of:

• The Skipper who does not necessarily have to be the Helmsman
• Two days of yacht familiarization and race training (or the amount of days agreed)

Is not inclusive of:

• Berthing fees
• Food and drinks
• Yacht fuel, water & gas costs

All costs incurred on land are for the account of the Charterer.

THE AGREEMENT

The invalidity of any provision of this Agreement shall not invalidate the entire Agreement. The correction of mistakes, misprints and miscalculations reserved.

Verbal offers or agreements are only valid if confirmed in writing.

Claims under this Agreement must be made within one month of the last day of the Package. Any right to make claims beyond this period is forfeit.

This agreement is governed by the substantive and procedural laws of Austria. I agree to the Conditions of thisAgreement:

The Charterer

(SIGN)                                                          

(PRINT) Name                                              

dated _                                    

For and on behalf of the Charter Company

(SIGN)                                            JOHANNES SCHWARZ, CEO

dated _                                            

Download Terms & Conditions Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze

There are no reviews yet.

You must be logged in to post a review.

Related Products

Volvo 70 Green Dragon

Class: VO70

• Classifieds
• Remember Me Forgot Password?
•   Boats Sailboats Discussion VO70 - Any scratch builds? Plans available?

• Electric Flight
• Advertising
• Our Sponsors
• Review Policies
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Site History
• Mark Forums Read
• Member Search
• Upcoming Articles
• Do Not Sell My Data
• Manage Consent
• Back to Top