Frers versus Farr

At the Nautor Challenge christening James Boyd had a scout around their two different Volvo Ocean 60s

Below decks

Down below the differences are more significant. One on the main areas campaigns including Nautor Challenges have been working on is the ease with which they can stack. Nautor Challenge are using the spinnaker pole rack on deck for this, while below the Farr boat could almost be described as 'open plan', enabling the larger sails to be shifted from side to side unfettered by interior furniture.

As always the interiors are in bare, unpainted Kevlar (paint is heavy!) with pipecots crammed either side inboard of the water ballast tanks. The Frers boat has a relatively conventional bulkhead layout with a full bulkhead, then a collar around the mast. On the forward side of this is the galley with the generator on the aft side of it. On the starboard side is the heads - with a Kevlar bowl, of course! Below the sole are the fuel tanks and the plumbing for the water ballast system.

In comparison the Farr boat has a full bulkhead forward of the Inmarsat B antenna and two half bulkheads/large ring frames around the mast area with two tie rods between hull and deck either side of the mast. The galley is central, immediately aft of the mast and the generator offset to port.