What is the Volvo Ocean Race One-design Fleet Doing in an Old Fish Market by the River Tagus? Elaine Bunting Finds Out
A small fleet of boats lies alongside a shed that seems abandoned. Seagulls pick their way past fishing pots and nets. In this part of the outskirts of Lisbon, by the banks of the River Tagus, the only clue that something more is happening inside the building is a sign over the door saying simply: The Boatyard.
This is were the Volvo Ocean Race one-design fleet has been undergoing a comprehensive €8 million refit, designed to bring the boats back as close to mint condition as possible. It has been a tight schedule to get the fleet ready for its second round the world race, which starts from Alicante in October. And this race could be even tougher than the last: it will mark a return to the epic Southern Ocean era with a non-stop 12,000-mile leg from Cape Town to Hong Kong, sailing south of Australia.
The race’s refit facility was set up last year in what was a disused fishing market. Although unprepossessing from the outside, it provided something in short supply: a 120m covered shed with lots of empty dock space outside right next to a marina with access to the Atlantic. A deal was struck with Lisbon, which is a stopover port for the race, and the maintenance arm for the one-design fleet is now based here.
The yard has been refitting seven of the existing boats, and fitting out one new yacht, built at Persico in Italy for new sponsor Akzo Nobel.
The term refit scarcely does justice to the scale of the work. The VO65s are the hardest raced one-design yachts in the world. In some cases, boats have logged double the mileage of a circumnavigation. Team Brunel, for example, had sailed more than 60,000 miles since being launched in 2013. So to bring every boat up to a similar condition has taken nothing less than an overhaul of every single fitting and component.
Esta historia es de la edición June 2017 de Yachting World.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 2017 de Yachting World.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
NIKKI HENDERSON
WHERE DO YOU FIND HANDY BILLY WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
IS OLYMPIC SAILING ACTUALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A SHOWCASE OF THE SPORT FOR BOTH COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS?
Building fleet for Baltic Sea Race
The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, a 635-mile race out of Helsinki, Norway, saw varied conditions and a new benchmark course time set.
New cruising charter 'Odyssey'
Charter company Dream Yacht has launched a new round the world supported cruising programme for yacht owners which draws on the company's extensive network of charter bases.
Mixed fortunes at Marseille
The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites - some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc.
The yacht Bayesian
Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi's 56m series, originally named Salute.
Seven dead in superyacht sinking
Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily.
5 EXPERT TIPS HELENA DARVELID ON MULTIHULL CONTROL
Performance multihull racing is growing hugely in popularity. Helena Darvelid shares some key learnings with Andy Rice
PALMA'S FUN FACTOR
FUN ON AND OFF THE WATER IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA, WRITES PHIL RILEY
SWAN 88 DREAMCATCHER
GLOBAL LEADERS AT THE SEMI-CUSTOM END OF THE PRODUCTION SCENE, NAUTOR SWAN INVITED US FOR THE FIRST SEA TRIALS OF ITS BIG NEW 88