The opening stage of the Volvo Ocean Race’s four part ‘Leg Zero’ qualification series – a high adrenaline sprint race around England’s Isle of Wight during Lendy Cowes Week at the beginning of August – saw the race’s fleet of seven Southern Spars-Future Fibres-equipped Volvo Ocean 65 yachts blast around the 50-nautical mile course in winds gusting to 35 knots at times.
Spanish team Mapfre, skippered by double Olympic medallist Xabi Fernandez, took the winning gun in a new world record time of three hours 13 minutes and 11 seconds a fraction under seven minutes faster than the previous reference time for a lap of the island set in 2013 by the 100-foot ICAP Leopard.
Three other teams – Team Brunel (NED), team AkzoNobel (NED) and Dongfeng Race Team (CHI) – also beat the previous record during the fast and furious sprint that saw the identical 65-foot canting keel yachts hit speeds over 25 knots at times around the southern side of the island.
But while raw straight line speed was important, equally so were slick boat handling and smart navigation – areas where winners Mapfre demonstrated a clear competitive edge over their six Volvo Ocean Race rivals.
It was a smooth and accomplished performance from Fernandez’s hand-picked international crew –a line-up that includes experience from 20 previous individual VOR campaigns – and one that has served to further reinforce the team’s status as early favourites for the round the world race which begins in Alicante, Spain on October 22.
“I’m very happy with the crew,” said a smiling Fernandez after the record breaking win. “It’s one of our strongest points – a lot of us have sailed together already and the new people are all good people, very switched on, and things are coming together nicely.
This is the second time Southern Spars-Future Fibres has supplied the rigs for an entire Volvo Ocean Race fleet, having previously been appointed official rig package supplier for the last edition in 2015-16.
However, the company’s involvement in the gruelling 46,000-nautical mile competition dates all the way back 1989-90 when it built the spars for New Zealand skipper Peter Blake’s commanding victory aboard the maxi yacht Steinlager 2 in the then-named Whitbread Round the World Race.
The eight 100-foot carbon masts built for the 2017-18 race fleet brings Southern Spars” total tally for Whitbread Race and Volvo Ocean Race campaigns up to 46.
As well as building the rigs strong and tough enough to deal with whatever weather the nine-month five-ocean circumnavigation serves up, to comply with the race’s strict one design ethos Southern Spars had to ensure the weight and bend characteristics of the masts were identical to within the tiniest of tolerances.
Nick Bice, head of the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard service facility, said he was pleased to partner with Southern Spars again for what is likely to be one of the most competitive editions in the race’s history.
“We know these sailors will push the masts and rigging as hard as they can in some really tough conditions and we are happy sending them off around the world knowing they have the best kit available,” he said.
“The race around the Isle of Wight may only have been a sprint, but the conditions on the day were pretty challenging and it was a real test of the crews, the boats and the rigs. I’m pleased to say all three passed with flying colours.”