Longevity of the VOR yachts, will they have a send life?

[D'ARTOIS]

What will be the value of the VOR open 70 after their circumnavigation? Is there any second life available for those boosted out boats?

Are those boats built for just this race or are there still possibilities for them after the VOR 2005 event?

Please comment.....

Please read for send second - I could not correct it

If you take Juan K as representative of the design philosophy of these boats then I don't think you could reasonably expect to buy a used Volvo 70 for any serious off shore sailing. At least I wouldn't....

[usa2]

you could probably buy one cheap and use it in the Sydney Hobart race and the Transpac. The VO70s have already proven they are faster for their length than any monohull larger than them. Upwind a supermaxi will be able to beat them but once they start flying offwind the VO70 should be able to keep or set the pace.

[D'ARTOIS]

I thought Russel Bowler to be arrogant but this Juan K is certainly topping him. Yah, ABNAMRO pay their bills promptly whith such clients you may allow yourself to be a little cynic.

What he said also in this interview with Yachting World is that he could add some more structural strength into the boats, but than they couldn't win!

So, this proves undoubtly that there is some manipulation with safety-margins.

Ok, for the rest, when he says that if you push those boats that tho go or break, please do not look for some sort of responsibility by the crews that drives hose boats - there are non: Their superego requires what the Germans call so beautifully "Volle Pulle"....

What happened with Brunel Sunenergy after the last VOR?

If you say USA2 that they can only go for the S-H or Transpac then I think that I we call this kind of racing F1 racing there should be many more events in order to gain interest or this level of sailing.

[usa2]

well you could use them in any predominately downwind event. The Sydney Hobart is not always downwind, but when it is, the boats fly. The upwind performance of VO 70s is nothing exceptional, and i would think that Wild Joe (60') and Wild Oats 66 would be able to hold their own upwind against the larger VO 70. The supermaxis will clean up on the wind.

[Robjl]

No second life for those babies... They are the ultimate disposable hulls. But so what ???

[the_sphincter]

the IACC boats have second lives, and are built with less safety margin than the VOR boats. You will see these 70's around after the race just like you saw the 60's. Problem is they will be expensive to outfit/crew/transfor/maintain.

[Robjl]

Thats not a second life..that's a last grasp at life before they are plundered for their hardware..
They were generally built for one purpose...
For any other they just don't work to an acceptable level. They are much too expense to race without massive corporate support, they require too much modification to cruise or charter..
The racing yachts of 25 years ago were different... now some of them got a second and useful life.

[marshmat]

The question must be clarified, is it possible, or is it a good idea, to try to milk a second life out of a racer like this? Possible yes, but I certainly wouldn't want to buy a boat I know had the stuffing beaten out of it over forty thousand klicks. VO 70s are rather flimsy to start with and are expensive to run and fix. Not something I'd want to own.