Extreme 40 launched

Mitch Booth gives his initial impressions of Volvo's new all-carbon fibre racing machine

The new Yves Loday-designed Volvo Extreme 40 catamaran has been completed at carbon fibre specialist Marstrom, launched and underwent her first sea trials in Sweden on Friday.

Australian cat sailing legend Mitch Booth who is involved with the project gave thedailysail he initial impressions: "Everything is going just great - we had a 12-14 knot breeze and it was everything we expected it to be. We’ve only been out two days and now we are looking for a bit more breeze. Yesterday was about 10 knots and it is going really well. The boat is really stiff, there are no structural problems at all. It sails well. There are a few small rigging, technical details we’re resolving, but nothing major." He adds that the boat is very manoeuvrable and tacks like a dream.

To date the maximum amount of wind they have seen is 14 knots but this was enough for them to notch up 22 knots under genniker. "I think that is a comfortable speed in flat water in moderate breeze, but it certainly is as expected," continued Booth of sailing the all-carbon fibre 40 footer.

The team will continue to sail the boat this week, but will take a break next week for the Tornado Europeans in nearby Vastervik, before packing the boat up and shipping her down to Amsterdam and the HISWA boat show.

To date four Volvo Extreme 40s have been sold leaving one spot left for the first Grand Prix prior to the start of the Volvo Ocean Race in Spain in November. "We’ve got another six guys ready to test sail this one who say they want a boat for the Grand Prix so whoever jumps first gets that spot," says Booth.

Once the initial order book of five boats is filled Booth reckons that they will be able to pump out boats at a rate of one a fortnight. "I would expect by the next Grand Prix in Rio that we could potentially have eight or nine on the water. It’ll be great."