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Two types of boats for the Volvo Ocean Race: the opinion of Juan Kouyoumdjian and Xabi Fernández

The designer of three champion boats back to the world and the master of the Mapfre value the arrival of the IMOCA. Will they be ships suitable for full crews?

There were no changes to the script and the organization of the Volvo Ocean Race confirmed a few days ago that the next edition of the race (2021/2022) will be contested with two classes of boats: the VO65 monotypes used in the last two versions of the round the world and the IMOCA 60, designed to date for solo navigation. Thus begins a new era in ocean sailing.

For the defenders of the landing of the IMOCA class in the Volvo Ocean Race, the sailors are going to have more options to compete in the two most significant challenges offered by the oceans (the ‘Volvo’ and the Vendee Globe, the round the world solo and non-stop), at the same time it creates a market more attractive to sponsors. For the most critical sector, on the other hand, the new ships might not fit well into a full-crew circumnavigation or should the IMOCA arrive in Port too far in advance of the VO65, blurring the ports of call.

The World of the Guru

One of the great champions of the arrival of the IMOCA is the designer Juan Kouyoumdjian. “I am totally against One Design in races such as the Copa America or the Volvo Ocean Race because it doesn’t make any sense and even breaks the Grand Prix criteria,” explains NAUTA360 Argentine naval architect during his visit to the Copa del Rey Mapfre. “Sailing is a sport like motor racing: there is an important human factor, but the relationship with the instrument, with equipment, is fundamental. This has been the case throughout history and breaking the importance of equipment is wrong,” argues Juan K, for whom the VO65 assumed an “involution” in the race. Not for nothing, his job is to win the competition before the start by tracing the fastest sailboat.

There are some technical doubts as to how IMOCA will be adapted in the Volvo Ocean Race, bearing in mind that this fleet is designed for solo navigation. Kouyoumdjian says no revolution will be needed in design studies. “I would say that 95% of the rule will” sentence. According to the designer, even the cover configuration will not undergo drastic changes.

Beyond design, the configuration of the crews will be a fundamental factor and will have a different perspective from the latest editions of the Volvo Ocean Race. For the skipper of the Spanish boat, ” the less crew there is on board, the more the adventure factor enters, and the less the competition factor. We are talking about five [team] more reporters or six more reporters; in today’s IMOCA, it is crazy to think about it.” In his opinion, the tendency will be to bet on more versatile sailors to the detriment of the specialists (the best bow, the best helmsman, the best Navigator).

Kouyoumdjian thinks that the return of technological development to the race could benefit teams like the Spanish: “people like Xabi Fernández, Patán [Pablo Arrarte], Ñeti [Antonio Cueva’s-Mons] or Iker Martínez have an excellent capacity for technical development, just as much as in any country that is a sailing power. The change would greatly help crew members with that profile.

The VO65 as a Springboard for Young People

About the VO65, since the Volvo Ocean Race, they have already revealed that this class will be focused on young crews, in line with the experience of the recent edition. In which a generation of sailors took part who took on the challenge of the race for the first time, among which were several Olympic champions and winners of the Copa America.

The History of the Edition 1993/94

This is not the first time around the world has been disputed by two classes. For the 93/94 edition, when the race was still called Whitbread Round the World Race, the organization decided to accept two types of boats . On the one hand, the traditional maxis competing under the International Offshore Rule (IOR), a formula that was dying with the arrival of new lighter construction materials, as the teams had to add lead ballast to their ships to achieve the displacement established by the rule. Faced with this nonsense and to try to reduce budgets, a cheaper class was created, the Whitbread 60, which was used until 2002. Then it was the turn of the VO70 (2005-2012), but these boats ended up being very expensive, so in the last editions, due to the economic crisis, hardly any projects with financial muscle emerged to build them. The solution came in the form of the VO65, same boats for all. Four years later, the Volvo Ocean Race again changed its course to seduce more sailors and sponsors.

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One Design racing – The Volvo Ocean 65

The One Design era means that, more than ever, teamwork, skill and sacrifice are the deciding factors when it comes to winning the Volvo Ocean Race.

The Boatyard

The Boatyard concept was introduced for the 2014-15 edition, to take care of the tuning, repair and maintenance of the competing yachts, and was made possible by the one-design concept of the Volvo Ocean 65.

Main technical specifications

• 66.830 ft 20.37 m HULL LENGTH
• 72.63 ft 22.14 m LENGTH OVERALL
• 15.68 ft 4.78 m MAX DRAFT
• 65.61 ft 20.00 m LENGTH WATERLINE
• 18.37 ft 5.60 m HULL BEAM OVERALL
• 27,557 lb 12,500 kg BOAT WEIGHT

Technical equipment

The Volvo Ocean 65 one-design high-performance race boats are designed and equipped with the latest communications and safety technology.

Innovative features

The new Volvo Ocean 65 incorporates a series of innovations that, combined, make a boat that is not only fast through the water - but also cool looking and capable of withstanding the toughest conditions on the planet. Here we look at a selection of the new features.

Reverse bow

The reverse bow is mainly a cosmetic feature, in the most photographed area of the boat, but it will also help keep water off the bow.

Onboard media packaging

There are five fixed camera positions and two uplink points, which will combine to give coverage from all angles. The camera and mic point in the companionway hatch will get right in the faces of the sailors. Cameras can be remote controlled and directed, while new microphone locations and systems will enhance voice recording. Key to the project is that the cameras and microphones now have much better protection from wind and water, enabling interviews in the cockpit.

The new boat has an inclined keel pin axis that will be positive for performance: creating a large vertical force on the keel fin, creating lift and reducing the displacement and the amount of drag.

There are eight bulkheads inside the Volvo Ocean 65 – compared to a typical number of four on a Volvo Open 70. The increase means a stronger and more solid structure.

Water ballasts

In the Volvo Open 70 there was only one water ballast in the stern. The Volvo Ocean 65 has two aft water ballasts and one forward water ballast.

The maximum draft has been increased from 4.5m to 4.7m. This allows an increase in the righting moment while decreasing the keel weight, giving the boat a noticeable performance improvement.

We know what you’re thinking – if this is a sailboat race, then why do the boats need an engine?

The design and build consortium

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The Boats, Crew and Route of the Around-the-World Volvo Ocean Race

In the past decade, the Volvo Ocean Race has seen boats dismasted and sunk, sailors break bones and lose teeth — and in one tragedy, a Dutch crew member washed overboard and was killed. It’s no wonder the race is called the “Everest of sailing”.

By Jason Heaton

When the hardest sporting events in the world are discussed, the usual suspects like climbing Everest or the Tour de France are mentioned, feats of superhuman endurance, strength and harsh conditions. Sailing doesn’t typically make the list. But consider this: the Volvo Ocean Race lasts nine months and covers 38,000 miles, and the competing boats, lightweight spartan vessels with crews of 8 sailors, race through every condition possible as they round the globe. With some race legs lasting up to three weeks between ports of call, crews put up with minimal sleep, freeze-dried food and exhausting work, all the while fighting oppressive heat, cold, and sea spray, all while fighting to remain aboard and dodging the constant dangers of rogue waves, icebergs, typhoons, shipping containers and pirates. In the past decade alone, the Volvo Ocean Race has seen boats dismasted and sunk, sailors break bones and lose teeth — and in one tragedy, a Dutch crew member was washed overboard and killed. It’s no wonder the race is called the “Everest of sailing”.

MORE SAILING: Surviving the Rolex Big Boat Series | Photo Essay: Sailing with Team Alvimedica | Viewfinder: The Farr 40s

October 11th marks the start of another edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. This time, the race starts in Alicante, Spain and heads south, then east around the bottom of the globe before crossing the Equator again months later to finish up north in Gothenburg, Sweden next summer. Ports of call this time around include Capetown, Auckland, Sanya and Newport, each stopover playing host to an in-port race for points and a brief rest for crews and repairs to their battered vessels.

Ocean racing isn’t exactly the most spectator-friendly sport, but the VOR has made every effort to help fans follow the action once the boats disappear over the horizon. On-board embedded reporters are on every boat, with the strict instruction that they cannot aid the crew in any way but must file blog entries, photos and video clips from the boat every day of the race, via satellite. If you thought blogging from your desk was tough, imagine doing it from inside a heeled-over carbon fiber hull rounding Cape Horn. The boats are equipped with a quiver of joystick-controlled video cameras mounted in strategic positions, constantly recording, constantly erasing all the past footage to conserve storage space. Should any crew member deem a moment worthy of saving, big red buttons around the boat can be pushed to save the last two minutes. A new smartphone app tracks the race in real time, and all the teams have significant social media presence. NBC Sports Network will be showing the race in weekend capsules and the Volvo Ocean Race website is full of videos, photos and stories that are updated daily. Spectator friendly indeed.

To get you started, here’s a primer on the Volvo Ocean Race: the boats, the crews and the race route.

This year, the Volvo Ocean Race organizers decided to level the playing field by moving to a “one design” boat. This means that every crew is sailing the exact same boat built by the exact same boatyard. This takes the advantage out of the hands of the richest team owner and puts it back to where it belongs: the best crews with the best strategies and, yes, luck. Each Volvo Ocean 65 was designed by Farr Yacht Designs, a legendary firm known for its world-class racing yachts. 65-foot by 18-foot hulls with 100-foot masts, these boats are stripped down to the barest of essentials and built to go fast. Interiors are bare carbon fiber, with slings for sleeping and a head (toilet) that is little more than a hole in the deck. Going fast takes priority over privacy.

Hull Length: 20.37 m (66 ft) Length waterline (design): 20.00 m (65 ft) Length overall (inc. bowsprit): 22.14 m (72ft) Hull Beam overall (ISO 8666): 5.60 m (18.4 ft) Max Draft (Keel on CL): 4.78 m (15.8 ft)  Boat Weight (empty): 12,500 kg (27,557 lb) Keel arrangement: Canting keel to +/- 40 degrees with 5 degrees of incline axis

Daggerboards: Twin forward daggerboards, inboard triangulation Rudders: Twin fixed rudders – composite stocks  Aft Water Ballast (Wing Tanks): Twin 800L ballast tanks under cockpit sides at transom Forward Water Ballast (CL): Single centerline 1100L ballast tank forward of mast Rig Height: 30.30 m (99.4 ft)

Rig Arrangement: Twin topmast backstays and checkstays with deflectors Bowsprit Length: 2.14 m (7ft) Mainsail Area: 163 m2 Working Jib Area: 133 m2 Upwind Sail Area: 468 m2 (mainsail and masthead Code 0) 296 m2 (mainsail and working jib) Downwind Sail Area: 578 m2 (mainsail and A3)

For the 2014 race, there are seven teams competing, including a Chinese crew and an all-female crew, the latter made possible by the easier-handling size and design of the Volvo Ocean 65. Each team consists of a skipper, and a tactician, in addition to grinders, bowmen and other on-deck roles. No one on the crew gets off easy; they rotate on and off shift in four-hour watch cycles. Here’s an overview of each team.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Race

Country: United Arab Emirates Skipper: Ian Walker (GBR) Home Port: Abu Dhabi, UAE Crew Breakdown: AUS(2), GBR(2), IRL, NZL, ESP, UAE, USA

Lowdown: Abu Dhabi is the only complete team back for the second consecutive race with the same primary sponsor and skipper. Two-time Olympic silver medalist Ian Walker is looking to win it all in his third straight Volvo appearance with the backing of an experienced crew.

Dongfeng Race Team

Country: China Skipper: Charles Caudrelier (FRA) Home Port: Georgetown, Cayman Islands Crew Breakdown: CHN(5), FRA(5), SWE

Lowdown: Skipper Charles Caudrelier won onboard French entry Groupama in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. This year he has committed himself to molding a team half made up from Chinese sailors in order to inspire a nation still new to the sport of sailing.

Team Alvimedica

Country: Turkey/USA Skipper: Charlie Enright (USA) Home Port: Newport, RI Crew Breakdown: USA(5), NZL(2), AUS, ITA

Lowdown: With seven crew members aged 30 or younger at the start line, the joint U.S.-Turkish entry with Turkish sponsor Alvimedica and a home port in the U.S. is the youngest and most inexperienced of the fleet. But navigator Will Oxley is a racing veteran and skipper Charlie Enright has dreamt of the opportunity to race in the Volvo since his early days in sailing.

Team Brunel

Country: Holland Skipper: Bouwe Bekking (NED) Home Port: Amsterdam, Netherlands Crew Breakdown: NED(3), AUS, BEL, DEN, FRA, LTU, ESP

Lowdown: One of the most internationally diverse of crews, Bekking is a six-time veteran of the Volvo race, but has never captured the elusive title. Dutch boats have won this race three times (the most of any country), most recently with ABN-AMRO 1 in 2005-06, but have not had an entry in the race since then.

Country: Sweden Skipper: Sam Davies Home Port: Lanzarote, Canary Islands Crew Breakdown: GBR(5), AUS(3), NED, SWI(2), USA(2)

Lowdown: As the first all-women’s crew in the race in over a decade and the first boat to officially enter the 2014-15 race, Team SCA has had more than 18 months of preparation time under perfect training conditions in Lanzarote, Canary Islands to prove themselves. They are hungry to succeed and the team will be allowed a crew of 11 under race rules, three more than men’s teams.

Team Mapfre

Country: Spain Skipper: Iker Martinez (ESP) Home Port: Alicante, Spain Crew Breakdown: ESP(5), ARG, BRA, FRA(3), GBR

Lowdown: Longtime partners Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez have sailed together for years and won Olympic gold together. But after winning the first three legs of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, they slowly lost their edge and were passed on the leaderboard by Groupama, the eventual winners, after Leg 7.

Team Vestas Wind

Country: Denmark Skipper: Chris Nicholson (AUS) Home Port: Copenhagen, Sweden Crew Breakdown: AUS(2), DEN(2), NZL(2), ARG, NED, IRL

Lowdown: The last entry into the race only announced their participation in early August, but they are led by racing veteran Chris Nicholson — twice a runner-up — and have unique a backing sponsor in Vestas, the biggest wind energy company in the world. With just two months to prepare, Team Vestas may need some time to work out the kinks, but expect them to move quickly and finish strong.

Scroll over the map to see specific details on each port.

2014’s race route covers over 38,000 miles and passes through all of the world’s oceans. The longest leg will be from Auckland, New Zealand to Itaj, Brazil, during which crews’ endurance will be tested as they maintain their four-hour watches for weeks on end amid the roughest seas they’re likely to face. Every leg of the race has its hazards beyond the obvious: the North Atlantic has active shipping lanes that pose the constant risk of collision with ships or lost containers. The Indian Ocean is rife with piracy, while the Southern Ocean is well known for its fierce storms and massive waves.

Along the way, the teams will stop over in ports, where boats will be refitted, wounds will be licked and crews will get reacquainted with their land legs back before setting out again. In-port races count for points which figure into the overall scoring along with cumulative time and finishing order. Here’s a look at the different cities that will welcome the fleet along their long journey around the planet.

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How to follow the Ocean Race Europe

• Toby Heppell
• May 21, 2021

After a change of ownership and something of a hiatus, the Ocean Race is due to start in 2022. But before that the first edition of the Ocean Race Europe will begin in May 2021

On Saturday 29 May, The Ocean Race Europe will set off for the first time ever and will see 12 teams in two classes racing on a multi-stage course from the North Atlantic coast of Europe into the Mediterranean Sea.

The Ocean Race is the pinnacle of crewed round the world races. Photo: Ainhoa Sanchez/VOR

What is Ocean Race Europe?

The Ocean Race Europe is a new event created by the organisers of The Ocean Race – round the world event originally known as the Whitbread Round the World Race, then the Volvo Ocean Race. The crewed around the world race with stopovers has always been one of yachting’s premier ocean races and is set to take place in 2022/23. But before the next edition of the round the world race, organisers are also running a new event designed to showcase top-flight, fully-crewed, competitive offshore racing based around northern Europe: the Ocean Race Europe.

Now under new management, The Ocean Race is scheduled to always run every four years, with The Ocean Race Europe also planned to take place every four years, essentially allowing competition between the teams to take place every two years in one form or another.

What is the route for Ocean Race Europe?

Leg 1: Lorient, France – Cascais, Portugal Leg 2: Cascais, Portugal – Alicante Spain Leg 3: Alicante Spain – Genova, Italy

Two coastal races in Cascais and Genoa offer bonus points to the top three finishers.

All the offshore legs will be scored equally using the high points scoring system where the winners in each class receive points equal to the number of entries, second place receive points equal to the number of entries minus one, and so on down the rankings.

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The coastal races offer bonus points for the top three finishers in each class, with the winner awarded three points, second place earns two points and the third place finisher collecting a single point.

The final overall rankings will be determined based on the overall points totals for the teams, with the winner being the team with the highest points total. Ties are broken in favour of the team with the better result in the last Offshore Leg or Coastal race sailed.

What boats are used for Ocean Race Europe?

Two classes will compete in the Ocean Race Europe with the racing split across the two fleets of very different designs of boat.

Turn The Tide On Plastic VO65 took part in the last Volvo Ocean Race. The VO65 will be used for the Ocean Race Europe

Designed and built for the Volvo Ocean Race, the VO65 has been used in the last two editions of the crewed round the world race. The VO65 are a fleet of pure one design boats, meaning each boat is identical, making gains more a matter of crew performance over and above technical developments.

Having been around the world twice, the 65ft racing yachts are extremely well proven and known to be near-bulletproof (if exceptionally wet) in extreme ocean conditions. Many previous teams have invested serious training time and data crunching resources into extracting the best outright performance from them, hence there is a great deal of technical knowledge within the fleet on how to select and set up the correct sail plan (from a range of options), as well as the optimum keel angles (they have a canting keel), and heel angles for maximising the VO65’s performance across a broad wind range.

IMOCA60s, like Charal, have recently allowed semi-lifting foils and have long been sailed short-handed. How will the fare in fully crewed racing? Photo: Gauthier LEBEC / Charal Sailing Team

The Ocean Race Europe and The Ocean Race mark a significant change for the IMOCA fleet. The boats are best known as the class of the Vendée Globe , the single-handed around the world race.

The IMOCA60 is a development class, meaning each boat is different and there can be significant differences in terms of performance from boat to boat. There are some one-design components such as the keel and mast, but broadly the design is unrestricted within the dimensions of the class rule.

The IMOCA60 class is owned and managed by a consortium of owners and interested parties, which make up The International Monohull Open Class Association (hence IMOCA). Unlike the Ocean Race, which has traditionally been very international, the IMOCA class is dominated by French skippers, with some internationals including English, German and Spanish sailors.

The Ocean Race Europe will be significant because it will be the first major test of the IMOCA 60s in a new ‘fully crewed’ format. The class has historically been designed to be sailed by one or two crew members, with the key race for the fleet being the single-handed non stop round the world race, the Vendée Globe, as well as other single and double-handed transatlantic races.

The requirements for a fully crewed race (there will be five crew on each IMOCA60 for the Ocean Race Europe) are very different to shorthanded sailing. Firstly the IMOCA60s have mostly been designed to be sailed by one or two people, so cockpit layouts, winches, pedestals etc. have all been designed for the ergonomics of shorthanded sailing – as has much of the rest of the boat, including the limited interior space down below.

Perhaps even more important will be the strength of the boats themselves. The VO65 was built with fully crewed racing in mind (where teams are aiming to push the boat 100% of its performance envelope 100% of the time) and were made suitably robust for this purpose. As one-designs they could also be designed with some degree of latency in their robustness – it doesn’t matter if the design is slightly heavier, if all the boats are equally heavy.

The IMOCA60, by contrast, is designed to be sailed to 100% of its performance over short periods of time, but with a solo skipper is unlikely to spend more than 70-80% of its time operating at performance. As an open design, IMOCA60s are typically built as light as possible within the confines of the class rule. How the IMOCA60s will stand up to the punishing demands of a fully-crewed multistage race may be interesting to watch.

What teams are in Ocean Race Europe?

VO65 class:

AmberSail (LTU) Austrian Ocean Race Project (AUT) Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team (POR) Sailing Poland (POL) Viva Mexico (MEX) Team Childhood 1 (SWE / NED) AkzoNobel Ocean Racing (NED)

IMOCA class:

11th Hour Racing Team (USA) CORUM L’Epargne (FRA) LinkedOut (FRA) Offshore Team Germany (GER) Bureau Vallée (FRA)

We will be covering the key events of the Ocean Race Europe here on yachtingworld.com.

The Ocean Race Europe itself will be running tracking thoughout all legs via their website at: www.theoceanrace.com .

There will also be regular videos from onboard the boats as they compete via the Ocean Race Youtube channel where you will also be able to watch action from the leg starts and coastal racing too.

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Volvo Ocean Race’s bold new vision creates professional sailing’s ultimate test

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The Volvo Ocean Race today unveiled a series of radical initiatives that will create the toughest all-round test in professional sailing and strengthen the appeal of the 44-year-old round-the-world race to pro sailors, team owners and their sponsors, race partners, host cities and fans. 

While the final preparations are being made for the 2017-18 edition, starting 22 October, race organisers used a live event at the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg, the home of the race’s owners and title sponsors, to present a bold vision for the next decade and beyond.

Highlights include the choice of a new 60-foot (18.29 metre) foil-assisted One Design ocean racing monohull, designed by France’s Guillaume Verdier, plus the introduction of a One Design ‘flying’ catamaran for In-Port Races, for which a new design tender process was launched today. The offshore legs will remain the key to winning the Volvo Ocean Race, but the inshore racing will count slightly more than now (where it acts as a tiebreaker).

“Three hulls, but not what you might have imagined,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner, revealing the choice of the next generation One Design boats, and referencing the difficult decision of whether to opt for a monohull or multihull design for the ocean legs, a subject that has been passionately debated by Volvo Ocean Race fans.

The race also announced new initiatives including:

• Putting sustainability at the heart of the race with the Clean Seas campaign of UN Environment, and key partnerships with 11th Hour Racing and AkzoNobel that will significantly amplify the global campaign. The sustainability platform is central to the positioning of the race going forward.
• Race activity every calendar year, and the launch of a three-edition Host City tender process with options for tradition-busting new routes and stopover formats.
• Building the pathway to the Volvo Ocean Race for sailors and sponsors, via a partnership with World Sailing, the sport’s governing body.
• A sponsor-focused Global Team Challenge that will form the centrepiece of a Leadership Development and Team Performance Programme – capitalising on race learnings for business and re-using the Volvo Ocean 65 boats after the 2017-18 edition for the on-water part.

“We had a lot of debate about multihull versus monohull and, in fact, the final solution for us is to do both - so there will be three hulls in future editions – a foil-assisted monohull and a ‘flying’ catamaran,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner.

“The Volvo Ocean Race has always been the ultimate test of a team and with these changes – collectively the most radical since the race began in 1973 – we are taking it up another level. The obsession that has led to generations of sailors putting everything on the line to win this race will continue, but to lift the trophy will require more skill, dedication and sacrifice than ever.

“We are staying true to our DNA as an ocean race but we will now also be testing the world’s best sailors to their limits inshore as well.

“At the same time, the commercial offering has so many extra elements added to it. We remain one of the few global, professional, world-class sporting events with a great commercial package that goes with it, with an outstanding Business to Business product, along with a rich heritage and strong consumer, media and employee activation options, much of it built into the campaigns.

“We are fortunate as well to have such strong and consistent backing from our owners Volvo, two decades on from their acquisition of the event. The race has never been in such a strong position as we look to the next decade and beyond.”

Volvo announced the agreement to buy the race from former owners Whitbread 20 years ago and has provided vision and staunch backing ever since.

“Volvo said at the time that the race successfully brings together adventure, sport and high level technology,” said Volvo Group’s Henry Sténson, Executive Vice President for Communication & Sustainability Affairs.

“So while much has changed in the last 20 years, fundamentally, nothing has changed. We’re particularly excited to see the Volvo Ocean Race reinforce that commitment to innovation – an area that is so important to us at Volvo Group.”

In addition, Björn Annwall, Senior Vice President for Strategy, Brand & Retail at Volvo Cars, highlighted the race’s renewed commitment to sustainability.

“Volvo Car Group has been involved in sustainability projects for a long time and we’re excited to see the race strengthen its position as a sporting event that is so in tune with its ocean environment and one that inspires such passion.

“The world truly is our racetrack and we’re thrilled to see our commitment to the future underlined here.”

Key announcements from the Gothenburg event:

• Sailing’s ultimate test: From the edition after 2017-18, the Volvo Ocean Race will be contested in a combination of a 60-foot (18.29 metre) foil-assisted monohull for the ocean legs and a ‘flying’ catamaran for use in the In-Port Race Series. Together, they will establish the Volvo Ocean Race as sailing’s ultimate all-round test and strengthen its reputation as the ultimate test of a team in professional sport.
• Foil-assisted monohull: The One Design monohull from the in-demand French naval architect Guillaume Verdier will use the latest generation foiling technology to make it incredibly fast to sail and spectacular to watch. Crew numbers are likely to be between 5 and 7, with incentives continuing for mixed male-female crews and youth sailors. The race will build eight of the new monohulls and deliver them from January 2019 onwards. They will be available to lease by teams to reduce campaign start-up costs, with sponsors involved in the current 2017-18 race to be given first option when Notice of Race and Commercial Participation Agreements are published this October.
• IMOCA compatibility: Uniquely, the design brief retains an option to allow the boat platform to be converted, inexpensively and quickly, to a fully rules-compliant short-handed IMOCA boat, and therefore eligible to be used in other major IMOCA circuit races, including the two-up Barcelona World Race and the solo Vendée Globe.
• ‘Flying’ in-shore catamaran: Additionally, the race is launching a tender process for a new One Design 32-50 foot (10-15 metre) ‘flying’ catamaran for use in the In-Port Race Series – a boat that will use some of the technology familiar from the America’s Cup and other new multihulls, albeit in a non-development One Design mode.
• A sustainable future: The race has three pillars of action on sustainability – reduce its own footprint, maximise its impact using its global communications platform, and leave a positive legacy wherever it goes. Centred on a partnership with the United Nations Environment Clean Seas campaign, the focus will be on the call to action ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’. A founding partnership with 11th Hour Racing is providing the resource to permit significant amplification across all Science, Education and Ocean Summit programmes. AkzoNobel will further boost the education and awareness programme. The Volvo Ocean Race’s long term ambition is to reduce and then eliminate the use of fossil fuels on future boats, while maintaining safety and communication performance, as well as developing new construction methods and operational strategies for the race overall.
• New racecourse and stopover formats: The race is planning big changes to the racecourse and stopover formats over the next decade – moves that will strengthen commercial appeal while preserving its sporting integrity. While the race is committed to two more starts from its home, and important partner, in Alicante, some future races could start and finish outside Europe, and potentially feature a non-stop leg around Antarctica or even a non-stop lap of the planet. But while routes may vary, the race will commit to visiting North America, South America, Australasia, Greater China, and at least 5 major European markets at least once every two editions, providing commercial clarity for any two-cycle plans even without the precise route being known. In addition, Host Cities will be able to choose from a range of flexible stopover formats – from the 24-48 hour pit-stop, to shorter form stopovers of five days, through to traditional ‘two weekend’ stopovers with full activation. The bidding process for the next three editions is launched today.
• Race activity every year/Potential shift to two-year cycle: The Volvo Ocean Race Board has asked race management to look into the feasibility of shifting the race to a two-year cycle. That process is still ongoing but what is already certain is that in future there will be race activity of some kind in every calendar year – a clear evolution from the current situation, with a gap of over two years between editions.
• A pathway to the Volvo Ocean Race: The race and its co-owners Volvo Car Group and Volvo Group will become official partners of World Sailing, as part of a long term strategic plan to develop the next generation of offshore sailors and their sponsors by providing a clear developmental pathway. The race will establish Volvo Ocean Race Academies as part of future Host Venue partnerships and will also provide a stepping stone for future offshore sailors into the Olympics, if and when offshore sailing is included, which could be a showcase event as early at Tokyo 2020.
• Leadership Development and Team Performance Programme / Global Team Challenge: Organisers will introduce a new Leadership Development and Team Performance Programme for businesses, focusing on learnings from the race in areas such as leadership and teamwork. The programme will feature a ‘shadow’ ocean race called the Global Team Challenge, designed for sponsors to give their employees a unique experience of the sport under near identical conditions to those faced by the professionals. The Global Team Challenge will be safety focused, raced along part of the Volvo Ocean Race route, in detuned versions of the current generation Volvo Ocean 65s and with a ratio of 3 professional sailors to 8 amateurs. The basic package will be included in the commercial offering for team sponsors, with activation opportunities to support employee development HR programmes, Employer Branding (recruitment and talent acquisition) as well as additional opportunities for B2B and media activation.
• 50 th anniversary celebration: The Volvo Ocean Race began life in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race and 2023 marks its half-century. The race is considering plans for a special 50 th anniversary race that will honour the sailing legends who have taken part.

The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race starts from Alicante on 22 October 2017 and will visit a total of 12 Host Cities on six continents. The teams will compete over 46,000 nautical miles (83,000 kms) to the finish line in The Hague at the end of June 2018.

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Volvo Car Group in 2016

For the 2016 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 11,014 MSEK (6,620 MSEK in 2015). Revenue over the period amounted to 180,672 MSEK (164,043 MSEK). For the full year 2016, global sales reached a record 534,332 cars, an increase of 6.2 per cent versus 2015. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.

About Volvo Car Group

Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 534,332 cars in 2016 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2016, Volvo Cars had over 31,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).

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OUR HISTORY WITH THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE

Since the 1981-1982 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race), Farr Yacht Design has been designing competitive boats that race in the toughest sailing race in the world. We have designed a total of 36 different designs. In the 2014-15 and 2017-18 editions, the race has changed into a one design format, using the Volvo Ocean 65 (design № 757).

VOLVO OCEAN 65

Design № 757

OUR VOLVO OCEAN RACE DESIGNS

Sorted by year & design number

Design № 757 (2012)

Design № 715 (2010)

VOLVO OPEN 70 "AZZAM"

Design № 635 (2007)

VOLVO OPEN 70 "TELEFONICA BLACK"

VOLVO OPEN 70 "TELEFONICA BLUE"

Design № 550 (2003)

VOLVO OPEN 70 "MOVISTAR"

Design № 545 (2003)

VOLVO OPEN 70 "BRASIL 1," "BLACK PEARL," "ERICSSON"

Design № 476 (2001)

VOLVO OCEAN 60 "AMER SPORTS TOO"

Design № 476 (2000)

VOLVO OCEAN 60 "ASSA ABLOY"

Design № 474 (2003)

VOLVO OCEAN 60 "TEAM NEWS CORP."

Design № 473 (2000)

VOLVO OCEAN 60 "TEAM SEB"

Design № 472 (2000)

VOLVO OCEAN 60 "TEAM TYCO"

Design № 471 (2000)

VOLVO OCEAN 60 "ILLBRUCK CHALLENGE"

Design № 396 (1996)

WHITBREAD 60 "SILK CUT"

Design № 394 (1996)

WHITBREAD 60 "SWEDISH MATCH"

Design № 392 (1996)

WHITBREAD 60 "KVAERNER INNOVATION"

Design № 390 (1996)

WHITBREAD 60 "MERIT CUP"

Design № 388 (1996)

Design № 386 (1996)

WHITBREAD 60 "CHESSIE RACING"

Design № 384 (1996)

WHITBREAD 60 "ELLE RACING"

Design № 382 (1996)

WHITBREAD 60 "TOSHIBA"

Design № 378 (1996)

WHITBREAD 60 "EF LANGUAGE," "EF EDUCATION"

Design № 293 (1991)

WHITBREAD 60 "YAMAHA"

Design № 292 (1992)

WHITBREAD 60 "INTRUM JUSTITIA"

Design № 287 (1992)

WHITBREAD 60 "WINSTON"

Design № 286 (1992)

WHITBREAD 60 "TOKIO"

Design № 284 (1993)

WHITBREAD 60 "GALICIA PESCANOVA 93"

Design № 282 (1991)

WHITBREAD 60 "HEINEKEN" (EX-"YAMAHA" & "HETMAN SAHAIDACHNY")

Design № 278 (1992)

WHITBREAD MAXI "MERIT CUP," "LA POSTE"

Design № 274 (1992)

WHITBREAD MAXI "NEW ZEALAND ENDEAVOUR"

Design № 195 (1988)

WHITBREAD MAXI "THE CARD"

Design № 191 (1987)

WHITBREAD MAXI "FISHER & PAYKEL"

Design № 190 (1987)

WHITBREAD MAXI "STEINLAGER II"

Design № 183 (1985)

WHITBREAD MAXI "MERIT"

Design № 144 (1981)

WHITBREAD MAXI "ATLANTIC PRIVATEER"

Design № 131 (1983)

WHITBREAD MAXI "UBS SWITZERLAND"

Design № 90 (1980)

WHITBREAD MAXI "CERAMCO NEW ZEALAND"

Design № 81 (1981)

WHITBREAD MAXI "DISQUE D'OR"

Farr Yacht Design

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Are You Tough Enough? This Round-the-World Race is Known as the ‘Everest of Sailing’

There are grueling sports and then there’s the Volvo Ocean Race.

The “Everest of sailing” is a triennial sporting event that sees seven teams battle it out on the world’s oceans. For nine months, the 66 ft. racing vessels pursue a 45,000 nautical-mile marathon, stopping in 12 cities in five continents before crossing the finishing line at the Hague, on the west coast of the Netherlands, in June.

“Imagine that you’re sitting there in your little boats in the middle of the ocean,” Bouwe Bekking, the Dutch skipper of Team Brunel, recently told TIME during a stopover in Hong Kong after a 5,600 nautical mile fourth leg from Melbourne, Australia. “There are huge waves, huge winds, and you’re just on a tiny nutshell in the middle of nowhere. You realize actually how vulnerable you are. “

Bekking, 54, is the most experienced sailor in the race’s history. This year is his eighth attempt at winning. During an in-port race in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor, his eight crew members demonstrated the agility of the yacht they call home for most of a year. They haul at ropes and heave on grinders that winch the main sail up the 30 ft mast. The boat heels suddenly while the crew lets out a ballooning spinnaker to catch even more wind as Team Brunel swerves to within a few meters of a competitor. For a non-sailor, it’s a hair-rising ride. For Team Brunel, it’s nothing compared to the untrammeled fury of the open ocean.

“It’s a very wet job. When we’re sailing faster than 30-40 knots, there’s water on the deck all the time,” Bekking says. “But it’s a special thing, especially because it’s 24/7, and I think that’s what makes it so unique.”

It began as an adventure. In 1973, British brewing company, Whitbread, and the British Royal Navy Sailing Association, teamed up to sponsor a global regatta. The Whitbread Round the World Race, as it was then called, followed a 27,000 nautical mile route once plied by nineteenth century cargo ships.

“It used to be an ocean voyage,” says Barry Pickthall, author of Sailing Legends: Volvo Ocean Race . “Now, it’s an ocean sprint.”

Today, the race is a professional machine, with millions of corporate dollars pumped into it. The course length has nearly doubled and teams sail identical 12,500 kilogram carbon yachts. With on-board reporters documenting each day, fans can practically live stream the race through social media. The race has become a vanguard in the sport of sailing, with an “important trickle down effect” for the advancement of sail design and technology, says Pickthall. “It’s the pinnacle of the sport.”

But for all its technological innovations, life on board is primitive. Each leg spans 20 to 25 days. To reduce weight, the crew subsists on freeze dried food. There’s nowhere to shower or wash clothes. It’s cold, it’s wet, and there’s no privacy. Sleep takes place in narrow net bunks hung below deck, where it’s noisy. On a good night, crew members get two to four hours of sleep.

“You just get on with it,” says Team Brunel helmsman Peter Burling, a New Zealand Olympic gold medalist and 2017 World Sailor of the Year. “That’s part of offshore racing.”

When mother nature is referee, things can go horribly wrong. Take Annie Lush, a Team Brunel trimmer, who’s previously competed in the Olympics and the Volvo Ocean race once before. During Leg 3 from Cape Town to Melbourne, the team was battling relentless winds of up to 60 knots (about 69 mph). A massive wave crashed down on the boat, slamming Lush several meters back against the deck. She broke three bones: two in her foot, one in her back — and the boat was not even halfway through the voyage. Lush was crippled for ten days on the roaring seas, thousands of miles away from a doctor’s aid, until the crew reached land on Christmas Eve.

“When you choose to do something like the Volvo Ocean Race … it has dangers with it as it would if you were going to climb Everest, or I suppose anything where you’re somewhere where you won’t be able to get rescued,” says Lush.

“It might sound horrific, which it is sometimes,” Lush says. “But it’s also amazing. I can’t really say words that would justify some of the sunrises and sunsets you see. We see some pretty beautiful things — whales feeding, dolphins — everything you can imagine.”

They see some shocking things too. No matter how far from land these crews sail, from Chile’s southernmost Cape Horn to the fringes of Antarctica, issues such as pollution and plastics are inescapable.

Lush recounts seeing rubbish along countless coastlines, trash caught on the boat’s keel, and a seal playing with a plastic bag somewhere in the expanse of the Southern Ocean.

“We travel to some of the most remote places on the planet, and sadly we’re seeing the reality that microplastics are existing, even in the Southern Ocean,” says Dee Caffari, legendary British sailor who was the first woman to sail solo, nonstop around the world in both directions.

Her team, Turn the Tide on Plastic, is promoting the United Nations’ Clean Seas campaign to rid the ocean of marine plastic litter. The boat is also doubling as a laboratory for ocean health. Volvo has equipped each vessel with instruments to collect data on ocean pollution over the course of the race, but Turn the Tide on Plastic is testing specifically for microplastics — tiny plastic fragments that can ultimately contaminate the food chain. The ultimate goal is to build a map of microplastic concentrations around the world.

Every year, eight million metric tons of plastic end up in the world’s seas. Coral reefs, sometimes called the rainforests of the sea, are being infected by billions of pieces of plastic . And according to some estimates, by 2050 the world’s oceans will be filled with more plastic mass than fish mass.

“This year we decided to take a step further integrating sustainability … especially tacking plastic pollution,” says Anne-Cecil Turner, sustainability program leader of the race. “Empowering people to take action at every level, from the general public to the government.”

Research from Turn the Tide on Plastic found microplastic particles in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, west of South Africa, in Australian waters, and even near the far reaches of the Antarctic Ice Exclusion Zone.

Says Caffari, who’s the only female skipper in this year’s race: “This is my sixth time around the world and I see it deteriorating each time I go around.”

Since departing Hong Kong last week, the yachts are now on Leg 6, charging their way through the Coral Sea to Auckland, New Zealand. After a stopover in Auckland the crews will take on the toughest and most important leg — 7,600 nautical miles across the mighty Southern Ocean, where they will contend with storms, huge waves, icebergs and the legendary Cape Horn — as they race to the Brazilian city of Itajaí.

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Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze

€ 2,600.00 – € 5,500.00

Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze, formerly Telefonica Blue and Sanya Lan, competed in the 2008-2009 and 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race Round the World and is under new ownership since the summer of 2020. She is a high-end Volvo 70 in excellent condition and set-up for winning.

You now have the opportunity to charter her as a whole boat for high-end races and corporate events or some races and deliveries are open to individuals.

The boat comes with a professional skipper, and up to 2-4 professional crew members depending on your needs. She can take up to 20 people for offshore racing and cruising and 25 for inshore racing and cruising. The boat is located in Vigo, Spain. However, the boat can be relocated anywhere to suit your requirements for races and voyages.

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History Volvo 70

The Volvo 70 Ocean Race Yacht is a class of racing yachts designed for the Volvo Ocean Race. It was first used in the 2005–06 race and replaced the Volvo Ocean 60 Yachts, which were first raced in 1993. The Volvo Ocean 70 uses a Canting keel which is capable of canting transversely up to an angle of 40 degrees.

The Volvo Open 70 race rules are similar to those of a Formula One race team, as there is not a specific yacht design but a set of rules which competing yachts need to adhere to.

Ocean Breeze, formerly Telefonica Blue is a second-generation Volvo Ocean Race boat. She became 3rd in the 2008-2009 Ocean Race, sailing under the Spanish flag with Dutch Skipper Bouwe Bekking. After the race, the boat was sold to an Irish/Chinese Team. “ Sanya Lan ” became 6th in the 2011-2012 VOR Race with Skipper Mike Sanderson. The boat has undergone a total refit in 2016 and 2018.

Ocean Breeze is under new ownership since 2020.

Specifications

Builder: King Marine Hull Designer: Bruce Farr Model: Volvo 70 Year Built: 2007 LOA: 21.50m / 70,53ft Beam: 5.70m / 18,70ft Draft: 4.50m / 14.76ft Width: 4.50m / 14,76ft Mast: 31,50m /103,35ft Keel weight: 4900 kg / 10,803 lbs Displacement: 14500kg / 31,967lbs Engine: 1 Volvo D2 (75hp) Diesel Top Speed: 37 knots Sail Area: over 500 m2

Accommodation

Sail inventory ocean breeze.

• Code 0: 3Di
• G2: 3Di TBC
• A3: Cuben Fibre
• A5: Cuben Fibre
• Try Sail: Spectra
• Storm Jib: Spectra

The maximum crew for offshore racing is 20 and for inshore racing 25. The boat comes with a professional skipper, and up to 2 or 3 crew members depending on your needs.

The aim is to deliver a great experience to everybody onboard, first-time sailors or more experienced sailors and not too win in spite of everything. Johannes is happy to let you do anything on board and he is there to assist you. You will be an active team member and not just a passenger.

When day racing there will be two days of training. The first day consists of familiarisation with the boat and during the second day, you will go trough sailing manoeuvres and procedures.

For a longer offshore race ideally, there are 4 days of training and preparation. On day 1 there is a briefing for half a day. On the second day, you will go through manoeuvres and procedures. On day 3 there will we some serious training and the day before the race there will be no sailing but the boat will be prepared for the race.

While racing we have prepared or freeze-dried food on board so we are suited for all conditions and can focus on performance.

Watch System

During a longer offshore race, there will be a watch system of two watches consisting of 4 hours during the day and 3 hours during the night.

The maximum crew for offshore sailing is 20 and for inshore sailing 25. The boat comes with a professional skipper, and up to 2 or 3 crew members depending on your needs. You will be an active crew member and not just a passenger.

We usually cook onboard unless you want to have the Ocean Race experience with freeze-dried food.

During a longer distance voyage, there will be two watches of 2×6 hours during the day and 3×4 hours during the night. In demanding conditions we switch to a watch system of 3×4 during the day and 3×4 during the night. But we try to avoid demanding conditions and we will use the engine to escape from wind shadows around island capes for example.

Johannes Schwarz

Johannes Schwarz is a very experienced Volvo 60 and 70 skipper and sail trainer and logged more than 250000 NM offshore. He flourishes in guiding and training young talents and is very patient. Johannes is a great motivator for sailors and teams and is leading them safely across oceans and race courses.  Johannes is also a promotor of women in sailing. In the first Volvo Legend Race in 2011, he raced on Volvo 60 Cuba Libre with an all-female team consisting of former Volvo Ocean Race competitors.

Johannes logged more than 250.000 offshore miles on 50-footers, Volvo 60’s and Volvo 70s. He started his career running his own sailing and windsurfing school. In 1990 he initiated the first Austrian Whitbread Challenge project and run that for 8 years as technical director. He competed as skipper in the Hongkong Challenge Round the World Race (first participation of an Austrian team at a round-the-world race). From 2006 Johannes owned and skippered several Volvo 60’s and 70’s, starting with VO60 ASSA ABLOY (2005-2008), additionally running and racing VO60 Tokio2 (2007-2010), VO60 Cuba Libre (ex Heineken) (2010-2015), and VO70 Green Dragon from 2015. From 2018 on he is additionally running and racing Volvo 70 E1 ex Ericsson and from 2019 Volvo 70 Monster Project, ex Kosatka.

The aim is to deliver a great experience to everybody onboard, first-time sailors or more experienced sailors and not to win in spite of everything. Johannes is happy to let you do anything on board and he is there to assist you. You will be an active team member and not just a passenger. Ocean Breeze is despite this a very serious candidate for winning races as she is a Volvo 70 in top condition.

Skills besides sailing

• Rigging and mechanics, sail repair, splicing, electrics, electronics
• Languages: German, English, Croatian
• Education: 3 Years at the University of Agronomics

R&D Fuel cells, solar systems, biodiesel, general technical consultant, several patents and sailor.

Terms and conditions

• Flights, visas and transfers to and from the yacht
• Your Covid-19 testing
• Your travel and racing insurance
• Accommodation onshore
• Personal sailing gear and wet weather gear
• Food and drinks when racing and training on the boat
• The race entrance fee if there is any
• Marina fees
• Water and Diesel

GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR S/Y Ocean Breeze

An agreement between

The Charterer:                                                (PRINT)

The Charter Company:                                             representing Solvis GmbH

THE PACKAGE

Event or Cruise: Package Dates: Maximum Crew Number: 20 for offshore and 25 for inshore sailing Joining Port: Disembarkation Port: Package Price:

THE BOOKING

The booking is binding and applicable to the Charterer. Transfer of the booking to another person is only possible following written consent of the Charter Company and receipt of a completed Conditions of Booking Contract from the transferee.

A charter is secured upon receipt of a deposit of 50% of the Package Price. The balance due date will be not later than 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package.

CANCELLATION

In case of cancellation by the Charterer the following charges are made:

• Up to 6 months prior to the commencement of the Package: 30% of the Package Price
• Less than 10 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package: 50% of the Package Price
• Less than 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package: 70% of the Package Price
• Between 6 weeks and 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package: 90 % of the Package Price
• Less than 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the Package: 100 % of the Package Price

If the Charterer fails to wholly or partly complete the Package, there is no pro-rata refund given.

Participation in the Package is not possible until all payments have been received.

THE CHARTER COMPANY

Is entitled to withdraw from this agreement if its implementation is impossible by special circumstances, such as unavoidable unavailability of the intended vessel or a replacement vessel, by the unavailability of the planned number of participants of 7 people, strikes, natural disasters, epidemics, war, civil unrest sovereign assemblies, damage, heavy weather or similar serious events. In case of cancellation by the Charter Company for any of these reasons, the Charterer will be refunded a pro-rata daily rate without interest for that proportion of the Package Dates outstanding after the date and time on which the loss or disablement occurred without any deduction of a processing fee.

Further claims against the Charter Company and/or Charter Agent, for whatever reason, are excluded.

The Charter Company has a yacht and P&I insurance and is insured against all liabilities. However, the Charter Company will not accept any liability in case of damage or injury, due to whatever cause. There is no insurance coverage on board for baggage and valuables. The Charterer is required to provide their own insurance for travel and accident (including emergency transport evacuation) that covers yacht racing.

In the case of delay by weather or accident, no liability is assumed by the Charter Company and/or Charter Agent. In departure and arrival ports not specified in the Package, claims against the Charter Company and/or Charter Agent are excluded.

THE CHARTERER

The Charterer may invite up to 18 additional guests to operate as crew for the event.

The Charterer represents their guests as a single entity for the purposes of this agreement and signs on their behalf.

For insurance purposes, each guest is insured for at least 15 minutes with clothing to swim in deep water without a flotation device, providing the Charterer agrees by signing this agreement that they are in good health and do not suffer from contagious diseases, and do not suffer seizures. ALL health conditions MUST BE NOTIFIED in writing to the Charter Company prior to joining the Yacht.

The Charterer is participating in a sporting event and has no agreement for either carriage or a package holiday.

The Charterer’s guests are on board as Crew Members, not passengers and participate at their own risk in all sailing and related activities, and each is fully responsible for himself/herself.

The Charterer’s guests shall take all necessary precautions for his/her own person, for example, putting on the life vest, clipping on above and below deck, transfer from the vessel to shore, etc.

The Charterer commits to comply with all applicable regulations on board and accepts that animals, weapons and illegal substances are not allowed on board. Furthermore, the Charterer agrees that there is no consumption of alcohol on board during navigation, neither the Charterer and his guests may be alcoholised when departing for navigation.

The Charterer’s guests accept that in all ship manoeuvres and the usual work onboard a yacht they will take part to the best of their ability. It is agreed that at all times during the Package they will be helpful and considerate to all Crew Members.

In the event of malfunctions, the Charterer’s guests are obliged to do everything reasonable to help rectify the problem and to minimize possible damages.

All costs and damages arising from the non-observance of passport, visa, customs, currency and health regulations, shall be borne by the Charterer who is advised to establish the implications of local regulations.

Acceptance of the Yacht shall imply the Yacht, its equipment, fixtures and fittings and sail wardrobe are in proper working order.

THE CHARTER COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE

The task of the Representative is to sail the yacht with the help of the Charterers, as well as to take sole responsibility for the navigation and seamanship. The Representative alone has the responsibility to make decisions that affect the safety of the charterers and yacht. The Representative has all rights and obligations in accordance with the valid law of the sea. All Package destinations may be changed due to weather conditions at the discretion of the Representative.

THE PACKAGE PRICE

Is inclusive of:

• The Skipper who does not necessarily have to be the Helmsman
• Two days of yacht familiarization and race training (or the amount of days agreed)

Is not inclusive of:

• Berthing fees
• Food and drinks
• Yacht fuel, water & gas costs

All costs incurred on land are for the account of the Charterer.

THE AGREEMENT

The invalidity of any provision of this Agreement shall not invalidate the entire Agreement. The correction of mistakes, misprints and miscalculations reserved.

Verbal offers or agreements are only valid if confirmed in writing.

Claims under this Agreement must be made within one month of the last day of the Package. Any right to make claims beyond this period is forfeit.

This agreement is governed by the substantive and procedural laws of Austria. I agree to the Conditions of thisAgreement:

The Charterer

(SIGN)                                                          

(PRINT) Name                                              

dated _                                    

For and on behalf of the Charter Company

(SIGN)                                            JOHANNES SCHWARZ, CEO

dated _                                            

Download Terms & Conditions Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze

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River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat

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Equipped with ice-breaking technology, these huge fancy yachts are the only river cruisers running all year around. The round trip journey takes two and a half hours and floats past all the big sights like the White House, Novodevichy monastery and the Kremlin. There’s a large open air observation deck up top, while the main body of the ship houses a restaurant with a dance floor for a romantic post dinner dance. For a particularly romantic experience take one of the evening boats and admire the bright lights of the city skyline at night.

The most relaxing and picturesque tour that Moscow can offer: a great way to see the city center and its main attractions. This is a perfect alternative to exploring the city by car, if you only have time to do sightseeing during weekday rush hours.

Your English-speaking guide is eager to share every bit of their knowledge about the surrounding landscape, the architecture and historical details.

We conduct Moscow river tour on Radisson Flotilla boats all year around!  It’s warm inside during winter months, while there’s air conditioning during hot summer days. You may also treat yourself to drinks, lunch or dinner on board (drinks and food are not included in tour price).

The cost of an excursion with a personal guide for 1 person

Quay at Radisson Collection Hotel

Government Headquarters ("the White House")

Kievsky Railway Central

Novodevichy Convent

Luzhniki Stadium

Academy of Sciences

Monument to Peter I

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow Kremlin

St.Basil's Cathedral

Novospassky Monastery

U-turn and back to Quay at Radisson Royal Hotel

Choose your dates

Who's going.

• Excursion River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat
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See photo of the meeting point

Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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