Your Feedback

The Volvo Ocean Race 2005 was confirmed earlier this week and many readers have suggestions on how to improve this race

Denis Inman has these ideas
I think that first, the Volvo Ocean Race needs to remain the premier crewed, monohull, around the world, ocean race, with stops. It is my belief that they can do this by going to a development/one design class on the order of a 505. The Volvo committee could provide a spec hull (of 80ft?) to the competitors that would allow them to customise the deck and interior. There should be specifications for the mast, it's location, minimum weight with balance specs, blade restrictions, and measurement restrictions for a limited number of sails.

Perhaps cutter rigs with non overlapping roller furling sails to reduce crew? I think with limitations like this, costs could be reduced, but more importantly it is less likely that a boat would be found to be so slow that their pecking order would be decided in the first leg of the race.

I still can't fathom that 13% of your readers believed that violence and terrorism is the correct response to nuclear energy.

Grant Dalton says that a 'one design' does not feel like a 'project' but there is certainly sense in the one design or limited one design argument such as reduced costs, closer racing. A really hot (fast and fast looking) one design would certainly be appealing and if it were one design, theoretically could be larger - a 80 or 90ft Open 60 style boat? So a 90ft one design with all the bells - wingmasts, swing keels, carbon construction, roller furling headsails and a crew of 8-10. In grand prix ocean racing circles such an animal would make crews drool and keep the race's perception as the Grand Prix event.

Trevor Baylis (reigning 14 and 18-foot skiff world champion) feels the VO60 should go,
Yes, it is time to get rid of the VO60, although they are pretty cool 65 footers. So, what to do next?

The sailing public can't see the differences between the boats that seem to matter most in this last race: the keels and hulls. I'd make the keels, rudders, and hulls one-design, as well as the interiors (might as well put some sort of reasonable interior in them). I'd set the hulls up so they can have multiple maststep and chainplate locations and then say that the rigs are open, subject to an overall height restriction and a severe sail limitation, (something like eight.) With a total sail limit of, maybe, twelve.

You might want an overall rig weight, c-of-g limitation, and horizontal overall length (boom + spi pole < 110% of LOA?). A crew limit of LOA/10 seems to be reasonable. The idea would be to keep the racing close, but at the same time have differences between the boats that the public can see. I find it boring that the boats can sail side by side for a week of variable conditions and there are no place changes. With open rigs there would be differences, especially at certain angles, and this would make the racing more exciting. But, overall the boats would probably go the same speed around the world. If you made the hulls strong enough, they'd be able to race multiple races, as well as have a useful life afterwards as racers or high performance cruisers (re-cycling is good.) And the rig development would have a larger trickle down effect to sailing in general.

Leaving the rig open is certainly an interesting way to go as we have seen in the Open 60 class, where there are conventional masts, wingmasts with deck spreaders, wingmasts without deck spreaders, wingmasts with articulating spreaders, etc.

The Volvo Ocean Race in its current form has no appeal for George Tinley
Look, I avidly follow most of the top class offshore events. I am fired up by the incredible trimarans and Open 60. The Volvo Ocean 60s are great boats but what a long drawn out piece of nonsense the race has turned it into. The stopovers were too long. Should they even have stopovers? I lose interest with it all and with so few boats and the funny points system it makes a mockery of it. iIlbruck should have won by now and yet got no more points for the Southern Ocean than for the short sprint legs, and theoretically could still be beaten which is a nonsense in itself. Sorry guys, you've got it all wrong and I now look up the cricket and certainly F1 before your Volvo race. Anyway I take the Telegraph and the coverage of it says it all. Brilliant crew, exciting boats, but as an exciting event for me, it's a no no. (Sorry)

Interesting isn't it. You have what is by far the closest ever ocean yacht race with the crews working hammer and tongs, harder than they had ever done in this race and yet it is accused of being boring. In fact your thoughts echo those of navigator Mike Quilter . The main problem is that the Volvo has become a round the world fleet race, there are no radical differences in boat speed and taking fliers is not the way to win this race. The argument is much the same as those who used to complain there was too much kicking at goal, and not try scoring, in rugby matches. So what is the solution? Make it mandatory to have a French navigator?

The news that Ellen MacArthur will be attempting the Jules VerneTrophy has brought this comment from David Bains
This boat with Loick Peyron completed the Race I think in 62 days and then the Jules Verne with Bruno Peyron in 64 days. I think it's being optimistic to assume that Ellen can improve on these times. I know she's a skillful and motivated skipper, with youthful enthusiasm, but third time round for this boat could prove unlucky if any structural fatigue comes into play. Having sounded a note of caution I will of course be cheering her on!

How long do race boats last? There is one Open 60 in existence, Christophe Auguin's original BOC winner Groupe Sceta, which Yves Parlier sailed around the world countless times before getting Aquitaine Innovations...anyway such was her mileage that designers Groupe Finot publicly said that was not capable of making another round the world race. How many laps can these big cats do before becoming structurally unsound? As for the record, Bruno Peyron sailed conservatively and it is certainly possible to get the record below 60 days if you have better luck with the weather and a crew prepared to take more risks.

In response to Andy Rice's article on the SPA regatta Mike Dawe thinks we should compromise to create commercial appeal to sailing
Yes, if we want commercial sponsorship to support development and expensive 'excellence' campaigns. We have to appeal to the sponsors and indirectly to the non-involved public. We also have to appeal to the non-sailor to get them interested; otherwise why should sponsors pay, if they do not get a return?

Andy Rice replies: I agree with you Mike, and I think some of the initiatives in the Volvo Ocean Race like the pitstop at Hobart and the 24-hour final dash from Gothenburg to Kiel are a great example of the sport experimenting with some interesting ideas to ignite interest in a wider audience. They are not necessarily popular with the sailors, but nor are penalty shoot-outs in football World Cups, and if it is these winner-takes-all scenarios that get the audience's attention, then that is what the sport must do if it is to be commercially successful. SPA regatta is a very bold bid to drag what is an undersold part of the sport - ie Olympic sailing - into the commercial mainstream, so it is great that someone like Henri van der Aat is trying to make it work in that arena too.

Howard Gale (trimmer, Bear of Britain ) is looking forward to the new Corby 50 being good competition
Hopefully very well although the competition is getting fierce in the 45 to 55 ft circuit in the Solent with both Bear of Britain and Team Tonic two of the Farr 52s out on a regular basis and Mandrake as well as the IC45s such as Babalass. All the boats upping their game this weekend at the IRM Nationals using the regatta to really get prepared for the rest of the season, the high quality of entrants was more than evident. Most of the gains were made and lost in boat handling and marginal tactical benefits. More competition is always welcome on the water it only makes you better, forcing you to raise your game.

NB: If you want to take part in the debate ( click here to send Feedback) then please ensure you include your name and surname, email address and the town and country from where you come.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this feedback page. If you have any further comments on these or any other topics, please click on the Feedback button above. Remember to state your name and where you come from. Each contribution may be subjected to a rigorous process of editing for language, taste and imparted wisdom. The opinions expressed in From the Feedback do not necessarily reflect those of the management, staff or investors of mad for sport .com. Instead, and much more importantly, they reflect your views.