Farr to design 2 Volvo Ocean Race boats for Spanish team

[Source: Farr Yacht Design] Farr Yacht Design (FYD) has been commissioned to research, design and support two Volvo Open 70's for a Spanish entry in the 2008/2009 Volvo Ocean Race. The Volvo Ocean Race starts in Alicante, Spain, October 2008 and involves 9 months of racing on 11 legs that will take competitors to stopovers in South Africa, Dubai, India, China, Brasil, USA, Ireland and Europe.

This is the first time that FYD has elected to work for a single program for the Volvo Ocean Race. “This arrangement permits greater involvement of our design team with the project management, builders and crew,” said Patrick Shaughnessy, Vice President of FYD. “We will be making a much bigger contribution to strategic planning, construction supervision, boat optimization and tuning assistance during the race than ever before.”

Research work at FYD commenced in November 2006 and involves a team comprised of FYD designers and outside consultants. Tank testing is currently underway at the Davidson Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. Having recently undergone renovations and upgrades, the facility is very attractive for this program. Frank DeBord of Chesapeake Marine Technology is managing the tank-testing program.

The Spanish entry has acquired an existing Volvo Open 70 and FYD has designed modifications to the boat that will be built and tested over the next few months. Sails, appendages, hull shapes and canting systems are all part of the full-scale testing program. FYD staff members have been sailing on the boat and will be onboard for testing of the modifications to obtain first hand knowledge to use in their research and design work.

“This exclusive arrangement with a well-funded, early start program has allowed research and planning to proceed promptly enhancing the prospect of success. We are thrilled to be researching these exciting boats once again and looking forward to launching the next generation of VOR 70's in 2008,” said Russ Bowler, President of FYD.