Volvo65 One Design

Next installment deck developments, engine installation and more on the sail construction and canting keel assembly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IxzZGXgyF0&feature=share&list=TLPNNgIrlEP6c

 

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Corley, whats your reaction to the keel fin being used to develop vertical lift when canted to weather?

 

It's an interesting development, I would have thought somewhat counterproductive as lift on the leeward side of the boat would surely be preferable? Perhaps the negative aspects are offset by the overall reduction in displacement? The Volvo65 doesn't have curved foils like some of the Imoca's as far as I'm aware but if the daggerboard section produced lift as a byproduct of heel it could be helpful.

 

The first Volvo 65 One design has been launched

http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/news/7327_Volvo-Ocean-65-hits-the-water-at-start-of-new-era.html

 

Sailing video of the SCA Volvo 65

http://youtu.be/nLk22YJAzHY

 

http://youtu.be/vK8mcQsKnRQ

 

Three teams have officially entered so far Team SCA, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and now a new syndicate from China Dongfeng.

http://www.sailracingmagazine.com/e...nced-as-third-entry-for-next-volvo-ocean-race

 

sooner or later the technology trickles down to consumer level and everybody benefits from it. And prices for these things tend to go down. Many things that are quite commonplace today used to belong into the realm of the military and even were classified for a while.

 

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But "one design" puts a big brake on technology development so there will be much less to "trickle down".

From Vlad Murnikov:

 

Nonsense...weather routing, polar diagrams, sail combos, energy storage systems.... will all trickle down much faster than high tech unlimited budget, build it so light that it may not finish concepts

 

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No, it's not "nonsense": it's a debilitating rule change that has ,potentially, ended the contribution made by great designers and builders to ocean racing design and development in the IMOCA 60 and Volvo classes. It's a great loss to the future.

 

The racing in the Volvo65's will be excellent and If the cost of developing new designs and constructing them is killing the contest then going one design is a legitimate way of addressing the issue. If the Volvo shut down due to excessive cost and/or an unsustainably small number of entries it takes a long time to restart from scratch. The cost building and operating a custom boat is much greater and the advantage is with the cost being amortised over a larger number of teams that operating costs in addition to the initial entry cost should be substantially reduced.

Imoca is still a development class and is slowly but surely dying I think Knut Frostad's concern was that the Volvo boats would end up treading a similar path. The last edition saw some of the boats spend time being transported by ship having suffered serious structural failures. That is not good for sponsors or the race.

 

Im sure it will be good racing. And im sure that each team will be working hard to find a competitive edge.

This edge will rapidly filter down to non gran prix because it will be technique rather than high priced technology

 

A recent series of photos posted on Sailing Scuttlebutt show the build as it progressed and the interior of the VO65.

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2013/12/09/photos-construction-timeline-volvo-ocean-65/

 

Totally agree Doug.

Reduced the size but with a bow spit. Is it 65 or 70ft.


Main technical specifications
The new Volvo Ocean 65 Class has been designed, engineered and built to be a high performing and competitive race machine.
IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race The technical specifications for the boat are developed in conjunction with suppliers and the designers and full details can be found in the Volvo Ocean 65 Class Rules located in the race Noticeboard.



Hull Length (ISO 8666) 20.37 m (66 ft)

Length waterline (design) 20.00 m (65 ft)

Length overall (inc. bowsprit) 22.14 m (72ft)

Hull Beam overall (ISO 8666) 5.60 m (18.4 ft)

Max Draft (Keel on CL) 4.78 m (15.8 ft)

Boat Weight (empty) 12,500 kg (27,557 lb)

Keel arrangement Canting keel to +/- 40 degrees with 5 degrees of incline axis

Daggerboards Twin fwd daggerboards, inboard triangulation

Rudders Twin fixed rudders - composite stocks

Aft Water Ballast (Wing Tanks) Twin 800L ballast tanks under cockpit sides at transom

Forward Water Ballast (CL) Single centerline 1100L ballast tank forward of mast

Rig Height 30.30 m (99.4 ft)

Rig Arrangement Twin topmast bnckstays and checkstays with deflectors

Bowsprit Length 2.14 m (7ft)

Mainsail Area 163 m2

Working Jib Area 133 m2

Upwind Sail Area 468 m2 (mainsail and masthead Code 0)
296 m2 (mainsail and working jib)

Downwind Sail Area 578 m



Innovating features. Who was that posted some where that water ballast was a thing long gone.

http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/theboat/14_Innovative-Features.html

Inside Photos and cockpit design.

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2013/12/10/photos-inside-volvo-ocean-65/

Don't think it will be good racing from a spectators point of view and certainly will not generate interest from the general public with them all being the same design and so few boats.

I used to enjoy travelling to the dock to view the different designs. Ketch verses Sloop, the different configurations and many vessels to ponder about. But now 10 minutes viewing and well that was wasted time thoughts. No interaction from the boats, no acknowledgement or smiles from the crews to the viewing public as they seem to be in a elitist world far removed from the viewing public, attitude at dockside.. Did not see any crew from boats stepping forward and offering autographs to the children with their parents and besides probably for security reasons couldn't get close enough to ask.

Round the world racing is a expensive excercise and unneceesary. This is where the big cost is. The crew and CEO.s are on big Dollar tickets and in high profile expensiive marinas in each stop over. Can't even sleep on board and feed themselves when in port, hotels and Motels instead. Even though the cities have bid high dollars to get the leg.

They are going to be disappointed with the poor attendance turn outs.

Area Zones promotions like in the northern hemisphere is the way to go.

Asia Zone - Oceania Zone ect. Plus you have The SH - NZ Coastal Classic - Brisbane to Gladstone Race to build on and All the Route De ... Races Trans Atlantic Ect.

The Southern Cross Cup one design 52 ft Monohull vessels, should be big but six boats only. Why ?

Need more Oceania Zone Challedge Cup Races.

OC