Volvo Ocean Race fleet grows to eight

Volvo Ocean Race have announced the construction of an eighth boat to join its fleet for the 2017-18 edition of the tournament.

The boat is currently under construction in Persico Marine, sales Italy and will be built using the same moulds, clinic material and process as the original seven. The boat is expected to be launched in May 2017, with the team being announced earlier in the year. 

“It’s exciting to welcome an addition to the fleet ahead of the next edition, as this was not necessarily expected,” said Nick Bice, Volvo Ocean Race’s Director of Boats and Maintenance.

Bice highlighted that the measurement of the boats is a fully transparent process as anyone from any team can visit the VOR refit facility in Lisbon and make sure they are correct.

“Our tests on the existing boats have shown they have not lost any of their rigidity or performance, so whilst the team building a new boat will have ‘no excuses’ from a mental perspective perhaps, there will be no real advantage in physical terms,” said Bice.

Established in 1973, the next Volvo Ocean Race starts from Alicante in October 2017 and finishes in The Hague over eight months later, taking in a total of 11 landmark cities.

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