Photos: L Oskar Kihlborg © Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 R Oskar Kihlborg © Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06

Printable version  News feed

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:00:00 UTC

The crucial role played by the mast and rig package in taming the beast that is the second generation of Volvo Open 70 cannot be underestimated, particularly in boat-breaking conditions.

That is the view of Matthew Sheahan, specialist racing and technical writer.

In a feature article in the latest issue of Life At The Extreme, the official magazine of the Volvo Ocean Race, Sheahan says that in heavy airs and brutal seas a subtle twisting of the mast can de-power the mainsail, allowing the crew to regain control.

“Twisting just one or two degrees when put under the additional pressure of the gust,” says Sheahan, “the mast section, the de-powering allows the square top head to open out, spill the excess breeze and release some of its thrust.

“Without it, the boat would behave like a rally car with an intermittent turbo.”

Sheahan continues: “It’s 3am, the speed has barely dropped below 25knots all night as the 21.5m carbon shell of a hull leaps, crashes and slams into wave after wave, each one more than three times the size of a fence at the Grand National, Britain’s notorious horse race.

“Throughout the pitch dark, moonless night it has been virtually impossible to see the crests until it is too late. With a full mainsail and a large masthead gennaker set, the boat is already at the max, but the outline of an even darker patch of sky behind signals a squall that is chasing her down.

“With no time to reduce sail, the crew has to nurse her through the next few minutes, feeling each gust and finding a smoother path through the invisible yet boat-breaking conditions ahead.

“But, just as a grand prix racing superbike tyre is designed to defy logic and grip in a knee-scraping tight bend on a ludicrously wet surface, so a Volvo 70’s mast has been designed to perform when it counts and deflect in the gusts to de-power just enough to take the sting out of each threatening bullet of extra breeze.”

In the build up to the race, some teams will have built three or four masts and have spent countless hours testing their characteristics. Few clues are given as to the cost of the rig development programme, but with a price tag of a complete custom package estimated at £400,000, the mast alone is clearly into six figures.

The new generation Volvo Open 70 may look the same as last time and the staggering loads at speed may still keep designers awake at night and crews on their toes, but the changes all come down to a common goal, the universal greed for speed.

Read the full story in Issue 27 of Life At The Extreme, the official magazine of the Volvo Ocean Race which is published online. [READ NOW]

Did you know that you can watch hours of race video at www.VolvoOceanRace.tv, the official Race TV channel for free!

 Back to news      News Archive