World Championship bronze for Fletcher and Sign

Written by RYA | 15 February 2016

Dylan Fletcher & Alain Sign score final race victory to claim first 49er World Championship medal

Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign rounded off their 49er World Championship regatta in style on Sunday (14 February) with a medal race victory handing them bronze and their first Worlds podium finish.

The world number six-ranked duo led the final medal race in Clearwater, USA, from the outset to improve on their previous World Championship best of fourth in 2013.

But Fletcher admitted that, in spite of their stellar finish to lead the men’s skiff fleet across the line in the final race of the week, he and Sign initially thought they’d had to settle for the leather medal once again before realising that a mistake by Australian Olympic Champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jenson had played into their hands.

“We actually crossed the finish line and thought we’d finished fourth as Nathan [Outteridge] and the Austrians were the two boats just behind us,” said Fletcher of his key podium rivals.

“But as it happened Nathan was over the line which put us into a bronze medal position. We’re stoked, we’re really happy and can’t believe it’s really happened!”

With a fourth World Championship gold already secured ahead of the medal race by the dominant New Zealand pairing Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, the double European Champions Fletcher and Sign went into the final race in sixth place. Three ‘OK’ gold fleet races earlier in the day had put them ‘a little bit on the back foot’ going into the medal race according to Fletcher, with a nine point gap to the silver medal position in some testing race conditions.

“The sea breeze came in for us which was pretty good as it made it a bit more consistent breeze. However it was a little bit up and down,” explained Sign. “It was pretty close racing, the startline was really short, everyone was after each other. It was exciting 49er racing!”

“We’ve been working hard for the last two or three months really trying to up our sailing a little bit and it’s finally come together this week.”

John Pink and Stuart Bithell also made the medal race cut, heading in to the final race in eighth place following a testing penultimate day on Saturday. A fourth place in the final double points medal race improved their standing one place to seventh overall.

“We sailed a good series,” Bithell surmised. “We actually just had one day, the first day of gold fleet racing where it was quite windy and we did a bad job of getting off the startline and that bit us in the bottom a little bit.

“Apart from that we’ve actually sailed some really nice races, the teamwork’s going really well and we’re posting some good results and some good catch ups.”

Sunday also saw the final day of competition in the Nacra 17 and 49erFX World Championships, both new events for Rio 2016, which were held concurrently in Clearwater.

Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves emerged as the top British duo and sixth overall after the six days of racing in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull event.

Groves was content with their regatta performance: “We’re happy with our overall result here in Clearwater and Miami. They’ve been quite good events for us. We had a wicked day yesterday which bumped us up and we had a good medal race today.”

“The fleet is definitely getting better,” added Saxton at what was only the fourth World Championship for the new Olympic class.

“The fleet’s getting pretty wily on the tactics now. Quite often you have to just roll and stick with our lanes because there is no clever option that the fleet has missed. It’s a really high level.”

British Sailing Team Podium Potential duo Tom Phipps and Nikki Boniface also made the Nacra 17 medal race cut, finishing tenth overall, while Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth also concluded their 49erFX event in tenth place.

Having been in the mix for the podium positions earlier in the week, Dobson and Ainsworth rued a few mistakes in the gold fleet series, which meant they were out of contention for the podium spots in Sunday’s medal race.

But Dobson was keen to draw on the positives. “It’s disappointing that we did drop the ball and put ourselves with just too much to do in the medal race. But what is really, really good is the fact that we really have shown throughout the week to ourselves that we really are able to challenge for medals. We just have to be able to do it every day.”

Full results are available at http://www.saillife.com/#!results/xnacl

For news and British Sailing Team updates visit us at www.britishsailingteam.com on Facebook or on Twitter @BritishSailing

via World Championship bronze for Fletcher and Sign | Home | News | The British Sailing Team | RYA.

North Sails flying high Download DownloadMarc Bow / Volvo Ocean Race DownloadAmory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean RaceThe Volvo Ocean Race has appointed North Sails to be the exclusive Official Supplier of sails to the Volvo Ocean 65 one-design fleet in 2017-18 (full story below).- Race appoints world’s largest sailmaker as Official Supplier- Read heralds deal for next edition in 2017-18- ‘Sails improving all the time’, says Boatyard chiefALICANTE, Spain, February 16 – The Volvo Ocean Race has appointed North Sails to be the exclusive Official Supplier of sails to the Volvo Ocean 65 one-design fleet in 2017-18.North Sails supplied the sail wardrobe for the last Volvo Ocean Race, which saw the first ever one-design Volvo Ocean 65 fleet finish in June 2015.  The durability of the Volvo Ocean 65 has already become a byword in the industry for its reliability and North Sails 3DiTM product has become synonymous with durability as well, powering six teams over 40,000 nautical miles in the last race with a ground-breaking, limited sail wardrobe.Nick Bice, who heads up The Boatyard maintenance centre at the Volvo Ocean Race, explained that the success of North Sails in renewing their partnership with offshore sailing’s leading event was no foregone conclusion.“North Sails was chosen against a lot of different criteria and not necessarily because of a long history in ocean racing and the Volvo Ocean Race,” he said.“Many elements have contributed to the final decision, including the simple fact that the North Sails 3DiTM product is very good. The company has a strong commitment to the next edition of the race, not only from a product but also a personnel point of view.”North Sails President, Ken Read, added: “The Volvo Ocean Race has been and remains a big part of my life having participated in three editions. North Sails also has deep roots in this race, powering eight of nine race winners since Steinlager 2 in 1989.“Performance and durability are a prerequisite for every part and piece of the new one-design boats. Proven as the highest performing and most durable sails ever made, North Sails’ patented 3Di product fits the bill perfectly.”The next step is to finalize designs for the Volvo Ocean 65 sail wardrobe, which will be carried out once the 2017-18 route is confirmed by mid-2016. After that comes the manufacturing process, followed by the delivery of the sails to the 13th edition teams in April 2017.Currently, practicing crews may use new or used ‘generation 1’ designs for independent training as well as two-boat testing. Race rules will not permit two-boat testing when the new inventory is delivered next April.“The idea is that all teams will match up for the first time on the start line in Alicante, all with the same amount of knowledge,” said Bice.What sort of improvements can we expect to see with the next generation sail wardrobe?“The sails will continue to be reliable, that is a big factor. There will be improved flying shapes based on what has been learned about the boats and a customised wardrobe depending on the race route.”

via North Sails flying high| Volvo Ocean Race.

Email Print

Extreme Sailing grabs the momentum

10 Feb 2016

Alinghi at full stretch – photo: Lloyd Images

FOILING: When the Extreme Sailing Series decided to add foils to its already fiendishly quick catamarans, many wondered how it would all turn out.

But now the Extreme Sailing Series has launched its 10th season with new boats, teams and venues, it’s obvious they made a good decision.

Because, with the America’s Cup still some way off, it’s very obvious all the contenders need as much foiling time (and design opportunities) in the new fleet of GC32 catamarans as they can get.

The series will visit eight urban city centres and the Portuguese capital Lisbon makes its debut as a new Stadium Sailing race course and looks set to be a venue highlight for 2016.

Alongside the Portuguese city will be seven other tried-and-tested city stadium settings that have attracted more than one million spectators to the Extreme Sailing Series over the last nine years.

“2016 marks the tenth year of competition for the Extreme Sailing Series and it is going to be a milestone year for us in more ways than one,” said event director Andy Tourell.

“The change of racing platform to the GC32 brings with it a whole new dimension to the racing and public experience.”

Diversify

We have a chance to diversify our format, he added, combining Stadium Racing with match racing, plus the chance to open up the racecourse in some venues, allowing these boats to really stretch their legs – starting with a 20km coastal race to start the season in Muscat, Oman.

The competition on the water promises to be fierce and action-packed with America’s Cup legends, Olympic heroes and world champions preparing to do battle at close quarters.

Among the crews will be veterans of 13 Olympic campaigns and 22 America’s Cup campaigns. Between them they also hold 27 World Championship titles, 27 European Championships and 106 National titles.

The Land Rover BAR Academy squad, announced two weeks ago, will be led for the first two Acts by the 2015 winning skipper and most successful sailor in the series history, Leigh McMillan.

Mr McMillan will mentor the Academy sailors alongside experienced Extreme 40 crew Bleddyn Môn, Ben Ainslie and the Land Rover BAR senior team.

After the season-opener in Muscat in March – where the eighth team will be revealed – the fleet will travel to China’s Olympic Sailing City, Qingdao in May, a venue that has become a firm favourite on the calendar over the years.

Returning to Europe in June, the racing takes place in Cardiff for the fifth consecutive year, an event that attracted record numbers of spectators in 2013, with over 120,000 people taking front row seats around Cardiff Bay.

2016 Extreme Sailing Series Calendar of Acts

16-19 March, Muscat, Oman

29 April – 2 May, Qingdao, China

23-26 June, Cardiff, United Kingdom

28-31 July, Hamburg, Germany

1-4 September, Saint Petersburg, Russia

22-25 September, Istanbul, Turkey

6-9 October Lisbon, Portugal

8-11 December, Australia

via Boating Business | Extreme Sailing grabs the momentum.

Email Print

Da Nang race finish draws close

14 Feb 2016

A time limit of 2100 UTC, 14 February, has been imposed

CLIPPER RACE: The race finish line has been set and teams are into the final hours of the Da Nang New Discovery of Asia Race with positions still to be decided as the fleet counts down the miles and the clock.

At 2100 UTC on 13 February, race director Justin Taylor contacted the skippers to inform them the finish line had been set and a time limit of 2100 UTC, 14 February, had been imposed.

The teams that have not crossed the finish line by this time will have their distance measured to the finish line via the remaining waypoints. By this method the race director will calculate the final finishing positions for the fleet.

As of 0700 UTC, Derry~Londonderry~Doire is 93 nautical miles from the finish line but, having encountered light winds, is sailing at two knots.

However having stretched to a 75nM lead over Garmin, which slipped into second place ahead of GREAT Britain going round the last waypoint, skipper Daniel Smith says his crew remain focused and determined.

“With the announcement of the shortened course, concentration on board Derry~Londonderry~Doire is at an all time high. With a dying wind we are unlikely to make it to the finish line but the objective is very much to get as close as we possibly can before the time expires to achieve first place.

“Looking back at positions behind us, we are very aware that GREAT Britain and Garmin are fighting hard and will be pushing each other on and LMAX Exchange and Qingdao are not far behind.”

Garmin and GREAT Britain, once again, find themselves battling each other to the finish line. Skipper Ash Skett and his Garmin crew are currently 12 nautical miles ahead of GREAT Britain which got caught in “a much deeper and longer period of south east air flow when tacking for the mark” according to skipper Peter Thornton.

In fourth place, LMAX Exchange is still in with a chance of a podium place, as she is due 3 hours 4 minutes redress for suspending racing to investigate a drifting and dismasted yacht north of the Philippines.

Qingdao remains in fifth place, and Da Nang – Viet Nam in sixth, but ClipperTelemed+ hasn’t given up on finishing in the top half of the fleet.

“We are in a good position as we seem pretty safe in seventh, as well as having a shot at sixth place. There are still 12 hours left of the race and anything can happen in that time. However, the wind is due to shift and build which will see some last minute tactics play out amongst the fleet,” reports ClipperTelemed+ skipper Matt Mitchell.

IchorCoal, PSP Logistics and Unicef continue racing northwards towards the next waypoint with approximately 100nM between each of them.

via Boating Business | Da Nang race finish draws close.

Extreme triumph for Leigh McMillan

BY ADMIN • JANUARY 8, 2016 • HOMEMOSAIC, RACING • COMMENTS OFF • 54

The ninth edition of the Extreme Sailing Series finished in a blaze of excitement in Sydney, Australia in mid December. It was a windy event that saw both capsizes and plenty of collisions during four intensive days of racing on Sydney Harbour. Leigh McMillan’s The Wave, Muscat went into the final event of the eight event series as favourite. Victory in Sydney would also see him take an unprecedented trio of overall titles, following wins in 2012 and 2013. However, his team struggled during the first two windy days.

The first day of racing saw carnage on the racecourse that locked spectators onto the edge of their seats. Local entry and the only female skipper at the event, Katie Spithill, was first to fall foul of the full-contact racing when her boat, 33 South Racing, was T-boned on the start of race three by Lino Sonego Team Italia.

Despite the gaping hole in the back of her vessel, Spithill valiantly finished the race in a respectable fifth place, before limping back to the dock for overnight repairs. “The Italians tried to duck us and misjudged it. We finished the race thinking we could tape up the hole but it turns out it’s a lot bigger than that,” explained Spithill.”

It wasn’t long before the Italian team succumbed to damage. GAC Pindar, in another collision, wrecked their steering gear in race seven, resulting in both teams retiring from the day. Gusts of wind topping 30 knots the following day saw only half the fleet racing at any one time. Even then the Italians fell foul of the conditions, capsizing while trying to avoid a collision with the Red Bull Sailing Team.

The first two days were not good for McMillan and his crew of British double Olympic gold medallist and current ISAF World Sailor of the Year Sarah Ayton, America’s Cup sailors Pete Greenhalgh and Ed Smyth and Omani sailor Nasser Al Mashari. However, they fought back to the top of the leader board on the penultimate day, and eventually finished the event with the 13-point advantage on the Danish SAP Extreme Sailing Team.

It was a performance that earned The Wave, Muscat a 15-point victory in the championship. “We live for days like today, it was absolutely awesome,” said an elated McMillan after picking up the Land Rover Above and Beyond Award for man of the match. “It means so much to me, I just feel so chuffed about the way it’s gone. Sailing with the team and building those relationships has been incredible.”

This was the last year in which the Extreme Sailing Series will use its well-known Extreme 40 catamarans. In 2016 the competition will take place in the foiling GC32 catamaran.

Caption: Lino Sonego Team Italia capsize their Extreme 40 during race 2 of the day on Sydney Harbour. Credit: Lloyd images

Caption: Leigh McMillan celebrates becoming the most successful skipper in Extreme Sailing Series history. Credit: Lloyd images

Video embed code:

RECENT POSTS

Seasonal maintenance: Paint finishes

Garcia’s Exploration 52 oozes Gallic style

The rise and rise of superyacht regattas

Destination: Punta del Este

Beneteau debuts Oceanis 41.1

Oman is first venue for America’s Cup World Series

New round the world race for traditional boats

Extreme triumph for Leigh McMillan

Brand new X4 to grace 2016 Shows

Maintenance: Bow thrusters

via Extreme triumph for Leigh McMillan | Yachting News Report | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths.

New round the world race for traditional boats

BY ADMIN • JANUARY 8, 2016 • HOMEMOSAIC, RACING, UNCATEGORIZED • COMMENTS OFF • 73

Inspired by the forthcoming 50th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s famed non-stop solo circumnavigation aboard his 32ft ketch Suhali, a new race around the globe has been announced.

It’s based on the Sunday Times Global Globe Race, which became an international sensation in 1968/9. Knox-Johnston, who was originally considered an outsider, won the race in 312 days after his competitors encountered problems, or in the case of certain individuals committed suicide or continued sailing around the globe without diverting to stop in Falmouth.

Already 30 entries have paid a AUS$3,000 deposit, while a further 150 solo sailors have expressed interest. Falmouth is now confirmed as the start and finish point for the 2018 Golden Globe Race, where Sir Robin Knox-Johnston set out and completed his pioneering voyage back in 1968/9.

Competitors will be limited to small traditional boats, using the same equipment that was available to Knox-Johnston. This means sailing without modern aids including satellite based navigation aids. In addition, competitors must sail in production boats between 32ft and 36ft in length that were designed before 1988. They must all be long-keeled, with the rudder attached to their trailing edge of the keel.

The route includes waypoints to keep competitors clear of icebergs in the Southern Ocean

Competitors will leave Falmouth, England on June 14th 2018 and sail solo, non-stop around the world via the five Great Capes, and return to Falmouth, with most boats expected to spend up to 300 days at sea.

Competing yachts will be based in Pendennis Marina, and the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club using the historic gun emplacement on Pendennis Point will start the Race. In addition, three of the yachts that competed in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s Suhaili, Bernard Moitessier’s Joshua, and Loïck Fougeron’s Captain Browne – are also expected to attend the start.

The event will be sailed under the auspices of the Royal Nomuka Yacht Club in the Kingdom of Tonga thanks to race founder Don McIntyre’s close links with these Pacific islands. In 2012 the Australian adventurer led a re-enactment of the Mutiny of the Bounty voyage in a similar boat and with same limited supplies available to Captain Bligh 221 years before.

Caption: The founder of the 2018 race Don McIntyre originally planned to compete, but the unexpectedly high level of interest means he has stepped down to devote his efforts to leading the management team

RECENT POSTS

Seasonal maintenance: Paint finishes

Garcia’s Exploration 52 oozes Gallic style

The rise and rise of superyacht regattas

Destination: Punta del Este

Beneteau debuts Oceanis 41.1

Oman is first venue for America’s Cup World Series

New round the world race for traditional boats

Extreme triumph for Leigh McMillan

Brand new X4 to grace 2016 Shows

Maintenance: Bow thrusters

via New round the world race for traditional boats | Yachting News Report | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths.

The rise and rise of superyacht regattas

BY ADMIN • FEBRUARY 1, 2016 • HOMEMOSAIC, RACING, REGATTAS • COMMENTS (0) • 100

Despite their size and complexity, these yachts are raced with great skill and determination, often within metres of each other, as seen here at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo. ©Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Not so long ago the boats raced at these events were predominately very much cruising yachts that simply wanted to enjoy some friendly competition during a season spent in the Mediterranean or Caribbean. To some extent that’s still the case, for instance some events have more than half a dozen 80+ foot Oysters on the entry list, albeit some of them with Olympic stars shipped on board for the racing.

Nevertheless, there’s now also a growing demand for enormous dual-purpose performance cruising yachts that can be converted to racing machines for these events. For a few years these yachts appeared to be becoming ever larger, with some of the latest launches more than 60m (200ft) in length and each successive generation pushing the boundaries of both technology and existing sailing skills.

Stunning locations – this is part of the Costa Smeralda near Porto Cervo – is a big part of the attraction. ©Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Approaching a mark rounding with a yacht of that size fully powered up is an awesome experience, but with plenty of potential for something to go badly wrong. The current trend, however, appears to be for a consensus towards a sweet spot at around 120ft, that still provides incredible power married to sumptuous accommodation, but is also small enough to give a more direct feel of the boat.

The growth in popularity of such regattas has undoubtedly changed the nature of superyachting for many owners, with these events providing a rich social scene in addition to the contest afloat. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, for a group of highly competitive people, as superyacht owners tend to be, the prizes are almost unbelievably modest. The clearest example of this is surely found in one of the earliest popular superyacht regattas, the Barth’s Bucket, the main prize for which is, as the name suggests, a beaten up old metal bucket.

The boats are always an awe-inspring sight when racing. ©Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

As well as events for genuine superyachts of more than 80ft length, there are also others organised by top brands of production yachts, including Oyster and Nautor’s Swan. In many ways these are just as prestigious, even if the boats are predominately smaller and more cruising oriented. For instance, Nautor runs events annually in two of the world’s premier destinations – Porto Cervo in Sardinia and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, both sponsored by Rolex.

LEAVE A REPLY

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Name *Email *Website

Comment

RECENT POSTS

Seasonal maintenance: Paint finishes

Garcia’s Exploration 52 oozes Gallic style

The rise and rise of superyacht regattas

Destination: Punta del Este

Beneteau debuts Oceanis 41.1

Oman is first venue for America’s Cup World Series

New round the world race for traditional boats

Extreme triumph for Leigh McMillan

Brand new X4 to grace 2016 Shows

Maintenance: Bow thrusters

via The rise and rise of superyacht regattas | Yachting News Report | The Business of Boat Ownership and Marina Berths.

Email Print

Staying positive for Rio Games

08 Feb 2016

Guanabara Bay – I’m told Rio (on the left hand side) dumps the human waste from 7 million people into the bay every day…

RIO FILTH: With the 2016 Summer Olympics coming to Rio de Janeiro, it has brought international attention to this Brazilian city.

And predictably, says a story in US Scuttlebutt, it has not gone well. There is plenty in Rio to be critical of.

Polluted water, poisonous bugs, and funding issues are now the headlines (weren’t they always?). In this era of metric driven media, the Olympics in Rio is almost as good as Donald Trump running for US President.

But not every country is the Ritz Carleton, and in Brazil, they get on with a life a bit differently than most.

It is a laid back country with laid back people. And ‘Jeitinho Brasileiro’ – the Brazilian way of doing things – can be unnerving.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) just needs to get through to September 18, the closing ceremonies of Paralympic Games. In the face of the current controversies, the IOC has only one option – stay positive.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday (January 27), IOC President Thomas Bach predicted the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will “overwhelm” the world, despite Brazil’s deep financial crisis.

Great joy of life…

Bach described Brazil as being in a “situation of crisis,” but said the country was on course to stage “an Olympic Games with a great joy of life and a great passion for sport.”

Since being awarded the games in 2009, Brazil has suffered a serious financial downturn and is currently grappling with an outbreak of the mosquito borne Zika virus that has caused international health concerns.

Plus there is a certain matter of unkept promises about water pollution improvement. Let’s face it; there has been no improvement (PN).

“It is, as you know, six months before the Olympic Games and it is the most difficult time to prepare for games… There is one or the other minor thing to do, and of course it is the same for other countries, and it is the same for the Brazilians,” Bach said.

“But if you consider the circumstances that our Brazilian friends are working under — with their country which is in a situation of crisis — you can only appreciate the great work they are doing for the Olympic Games, and you can look forward to the opening of the stadium and to be overwhelmed by the passion of our Brazilian hosts.”

Keep it up Bach. Only eight more months to go.

PN: A nice little story that really doesn’t touch the heart of the matter. Guanabara Bay remains a filthy, disease ridden stretch of water and we really shouldn’t be sending our sailors out into such awful, rubbish strewn waters. Let’s hope they all come back safely…

via Boating Business | Staying positive for Rio Games.

Email Print

Volvo costs halved

08 Feb 2016

Amory Ross/Team Alvimedica/Volvo Ocean Race

VOLVO OCEAN RACE: At a time when rival major global sports events are struggling to contain spiralling costs, the cost of entering the Volve Ocean Race has been slashed.

According to a report by independent auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) sailing’s premier round-the-world event, the Volvo Ocean Race, has managed to halve the cost of competing for sponsors.

Much of the credit for this has been ascribed by report author, Manuel Díaz, to The Boatyard, the shared maintenance facility introduced by the race for the last edition in 2014-15.

“A campaign now costs around 50% less to run – in the last editions, the cost was between €20-35 million, rather than €10-15 million for campaigns at the same level,” the report, Assessment of the Maintenance Operating Model, says.

The Boatyard has broken new ground in the offshore racing industry, pooling both human and equipment resources for the servicing of a newly introduced class of boat.

The Farr designed Volvo Ocean 65 one design broke with 40 years of tradition in an event, which was launched in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race.

Outstanding results

The report, which was commissioned by the race after the finish of the 12th edition in June last year, highlighted: “The list of benefits is no longer hypothetical: the model has already been implemented, showing an excellent performance and outstanding results.”

The report, in particular, praises:

* Significant cost reduction in contracts with suppliers, spare parts stock, transportation, labour and support staff and infrastructure

* A reduction of breakages and the consequent corrective maintenance

* Improved predictive maintenance, fixing potential weaknesses before they result in breakdowns

It added: “One of the main benefits of The Boatyard is that it has become easier to attract both participants and sponsors – the entry barrier is lower but is not only a matter of cost.

“As all the teams have the exact same platform, the risk of having a much slower boat is lower. On the other hand, safety has been at the heart of the one design process, with the boats designed to last at least two editions of the toughest race on earth.”

Díaz recommends The Boatyard could be even more effective with a stepped up level of performance monitoring through a list of key indicators, such as average time for repair, man power utilisation and efficiency and inventory turnover.

Nick Bice, who manages The Boatyard, was delighted the project had won the positive comments from the PwC report.

“What pleases me is that it’s recognised now that our standards are in line with the very highest in the automotive and aeronautical industries,” he said.

“A key statistic that has been highlighted is that 90%+ of our servicing was proactive, in other words fixing potential problems before they led to breakdowns. Only around 10% of that work was reactive.

“Our ambition is now simple: we are aiming to get to a stage where there is no excuse for breakages in the next race other than those caused by human error.

“We don’t want future stories to be about why a boat has broken down, we want the stories to be about the people sailing on board.”

via Boating Business | Volvo costs halved.

Boat entry costs slashed by half, confirms PwC report

Download

Amory Ross/Team Alvimedica/Volvo Ocean Race

Download

Stefan Coppers / Team Brunel / Volvo Ocean Race

Download

Anna-Lena Elled / Team SCA / Volvo Ocean Race

At a time when rival major global sports events are struggling to contain spiralling costs, a report by independent auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has praised sailing’s premier round-the-world event, the Volvo Ocean Race, for halving the price of competing for sponsors (full story below).

– Sponsors’ costs drop by half to enter

– Improved reliability and efficiency highlighted

– Ninety per cent of maintenance ‘proactive rather than reactive’

ALICANTE, Spain, February 4 – At a time when rival major global sports events are struggling to contain spiralling costs, a report by independent auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has praised sailing’s premier round-the-world event, the Volvo Ocean Race, for halving the price of competing for sponsors.

Much of the credit for this has been ascribed by report author, Manuel Díaz, to The Boatyard, the shared-maintenance facility introduced by the race for the last edition in 2014-15.

“A campaign now costs around 50 per cent less to run – in the last editions, the cost was between €20-35 million rather than €10-15 million for campaigns at the same level,” the report, Assessment of the Maintenance Operating Model, says.

The Boatyard has broken new ground in the offshore racing industry, pooling both human and equipment resources for the servicing of a newly-introduced class of boat. The Farr-designed Volvo Ocean 65 one-design broke with 40 years of tradition in an event, which was launched in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race.

The report, which was commissioned by the race after the finish of the 12th edition in June last year, highlighted: “The list of benefits is no longer hypothetical: the model has already been implemented, showing an excellent performance and outstanding results.”

The report, in particular, praises:

• Significant cost reduction in contracts with suppliers, spare parts stock, transportation, labour and support staff and infrastructure

• A reduction of breakages and the consequent corrective maintenance

• Improved predictive maintenance, fixing potential weaknesses before they result in breakdowns

It added: “One of the main benefits of The Boatyard is that it has become easier to attract both participants and sponsors – the entry barrier is lower but is not only a matter of cost.

“As all the teams have the exact same platform, the risk of having a much slower boat is lower. On the other hand, safety has been at the heart of the one-design process, with the boats designed to last at least two editions of the toughest race on earth.”

Díaz recommends that The Boatyard could be even more effective with a stepped-up level of performance monitoring through a list of key indicators such as average time for repair, man power utilisation and efficiency and inventory turnover.

Nick Bice, who manages The Boatyard, was delighted the project had won the positive comments from the PwC report.

“What pleases me is that it’s recognised now that our standards are in line with the very highest in the automotive and aeronautical industries,” he said.

“A key statistic that has been highlighted is that 90 per cent-plus of our servicing was proactive, in other words fixing potential problems before they led to breakdowns. Only around 10 per cent of that work was reactive.

“Our ambition is now simple: we are aiming to get to a stage where there is no excuse for breakages in the next race other than those caused by human error.

“We don’t want future stories to be about why a boat has broken down, we want the stories to be about the people sailing onboard.”

via Boat entry costs slashed by half, confirms PwC report| Volvo Ocean Race.