IMOCA to race next Volvo Ocean Race
Last week at the 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race Grand Final - won by Dongfeng Race Team - the different parties (IMOCA class and Volvo Ocean Race) met in The Hague to find a partnership.
A working meeting was held in the presence of the organisers, sailors and IMOCA class architects such as Guillaume Verdier, Juan Kouyoumdjian, Vincent Lauriot-Prévost and Sam Manuard. Vincent Riou, long responsible for the technical commission within IMOCA, was also present "I was asked to share my experience. The objective was to evaluate together if the signed agreements made sense and to find technical solutions."
Opening the race to as many people as possible
The two parties have signed a partnership agreement, so we will find the 60 foot monohulls at the start of the next round the world race with stopover in 2021. This change in support is only the first step in a series of reorganizations linked to the race buyout announced in June 2018.
"By opening the race to IMOCA class monohulls, we will encourage even more sailors and teams to prepare for the next edition. This partnership with IMOCA will enable the professional ocean racing world to be better structured and organised more efficiently. It is a question of building together a sustainable business model for the teams and for the sailors" explains Johan Salen, co-President of the Volvo Ocean Race.
For its part, it's a great operation for the IMOCA class, as its president, Antoine Mermod explains "We are working together to bring the world's most important offshore races - solo and crewed - to the IMOCA class. This will allow us to grow the class internationally and offer more values to our partners. This merger should also make it possible to accelerate the development of certain teams involved in IMOCA."
A change that has thrilled the skippers of the Volvo Ocean Race, as is the case with Charles Caudrelier, recent winner of this 13 e edition "This evolution is exciting. The 60-foot Open is incredible. It gives me great pleasure to run on these boats and I think the spectators will have a great time. If the two biggest ocean racing events come together, for me, it's good news!"
Or Jeremie Beyou, winner with Dongfeng Race Team and regular on the IMOCA circuit "Our sports and technical structure that develops a new Imoca, would have the potential to work on a crew version Imoca. We have the know-how, a design office that knows perfectly the measurement and development of these boats: why not work for a team?"
An organization to deploy
The formation of a committee is under consideration. The latter will be used to specifically govern this entity within the IMOCA class. He will notably work on the conservation of the spirit of the race, the control of costs, the preservation of safety and sporting equity. To know the new rules of the IMOCA 60 that will participate in the next edition, the organization will rely on the active architects of the class. The objective is to be ready before the end of the year.
It will also be necessary to work on the number of crew on board, the IMOCA not being adapted to accommodate 10 crew members. Knowing that the race management would like to keep the role of Onboard Reporter.
The architects will also be called upon to design the next boats - hydrofoil boats? - who will race in both the Vendée Globe and the Volvo Ocean Race.
"Sailing is a sport that is not only related to sailors, but also to supports, so combining the two is what will allow us to advocate the fact that we are at the top of ocean racing" said designer Juan Kouyoumdjian, who has chosen three boats to win the Volvo Ocean Race.
"We're trying to create a boat for the future, capable of solo and crewed racing," added Guillaume Verdier, one of the busiest designers of the IMOCA class and of the future America's Cup boats "My opinion is that this is feasible with some compromise from both worlds."
