Juan K on VOR: you can't design not to breakk

Last I checked Juan K's boat ABN Amro 1 was leading the Volvo Ocean Race.
See this interview:
Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006: Juan Kouyoumdjian interview: Yachting World magazine
Address:http://www.yachtingworld.com/auto/ne...ywvolvo06.html
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Some quotes:
" With the advent of this canting keel systems and increasing dramatically the performance of the boats I think this risk is even higher because right now we're in a situation and this is true for 100ft. super yachts that we're doing. You cannot design these boats not to break."
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"I often say this and it is a very interesting correlation, just imagine if in Formula 1 they introduced bumps and ramps. That's exactly what's happening. Imagine if Formula 1 cars had to go over a thousand bumps and ramps, they would smash themselves to pieces."
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"The point I'm trying to make is that the breakage of these boats at this level,and outside the Volvo as well, is very much in the hands of the crew because again you cannot design them not to break."
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"I really disagree with the old fashioned,Knox-Johnson type of safety offshore,thats gone,that doesn't exist anymore."
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"And because the advances on these designs puts limits in a very grey area then the involvement of the crew and particularly the skipper on the decision making or how much you push the design is fundamental."

[marshmat]

I'm pretty sure one could design a boat not to break. But it would then be heavier and thus slower. Sounds like Juan is trying to justify building too light and too weak for what the boat has to handle. A boat is not an F1 car- a boat has to take waves and gusts, and it has to do it safely. I don't like the idea of blaming a structural failure, that could easily be predicted long before launching, on the crew.

I agree.

[cyclops]

How many new ideas are designed into each boat each year? How much redesign time is allowed to re-engineer a part that fails? ------Are they just doing theory application with best guess designing? Where is the Emperical proving time with the obvious teardown and upgrade? This sounds more like the design of the F4 Phantom that could do every mission without a gun because someone decided it was obsolete. Knee jerk design without engineering is obsolete at this level of racing.

[SailDesign]

A Formula 1 car may not break during normal racing conditions, but if you hop a curb at 200mph and go headfirst into a cement varrier, it will bust. Chances are that the driver will be a little shaken, too.
A 70-foot monohull at 37 knots (that's 42.5 mph for those who can't think in knots), jumping off a 20' wave, is something like the above-mentione dF1 car. NOT "normal" racing conditions. Sure, any boat can be designed to not break under nice conditions, but Southern Ocean (or Atlantic Winter) conditions are not nice, usually. It is part of the sport, and those that don't stay together don't win.
Steve

[RHough]

Originally Posted by SailDesign

Sure, any boat can be designed to not break under nice conditions, but Southern Ocean (or Atlantic Winter) conditions are not nice, usually. It is part of the sport, and those that don't stay together don't win.
Steve

Not looking good for Farr is it?

Boats most certainly can be designed not to break in NORMAL conditions. Gales and 6 metre waves are NORMAL conditions on course. A racing design that cannot be raced in normal and predictable conditions is a poor design.

If a 70ft canting keel design cannot be designed not to break when pushed to the crew's limit, why would such a design be used for the race?