The Shed

Look at the speed this Volvo 70 is doing, wow thats fast!!  The flat underwater rear sections allow the yacht plane easily but also make steering hard because the bow buries itself- as you can see. 

This is tough sailing- and the vid  only shows daytime, what about at night?? As the big boat accelerates down the waves, the guys are pumping the spinnaker and main like you do in a dinghy. Awesome video –

Volvo Open 70 information and specification

The Volvo Open 70 design is faster and more dynamic than any offshore monohull. It is a state-of-the-art craft incorporating leading edge performance technology. During the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06, the Dutch entry, ABN AMRO TWO, designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian, smashed the World Sailing Speed Record for distance covered by a monohull within 24 hours when they achieved 562.96 nautical miles.  

The Volvo Open 70s are able to cant the entire keel 40 degrees out to the windward side. This produces tremendous stability, similar to the current America’s Cup Class, but with a boat that weighs 10,000kg less.  

Stability of the Volvo Open 70 is further enhanced by the use of composite rigging, rather than stainless steel rods, which reduces the weight of the rig. Such rigging also helps toughen up the masts as the ultimate failure loads of this rigging is far higher than that of the stainless steel rods they replace.

Volvo Open 70 Specification 

Length overall                                 21.5m (70?)

Beam                                                 4.7m – 5.7m (15?4 – 18?7)

Draft                                                   4.5m (14?9)

Mainsail area                                   172m²  (574 ft²)

Headsail area                                  140m² (1938 ft²)

Spinnaker area                               500m² (5382 ft²)

Mast height above water               31.5m² (103?6″)

Mast height above deck                 29m (95ft)

Weight overall                                  12,500kg – 14,000kg (12.3 – 13.8 tons)

Fin and bulb max weight                7,400 kg

Fin and bulb min weight                 7,400 kg

Fin max swing angle                     40 degrees either side of the vertical