New developments at Ericsson

Build soon to start of new VO70 in Sweden as the team acquire a new training boat

The Volvo Ocean Race has already started for the members of the Ericsson Racing Team. After five months of research, computer simulations and tank tests, the construction of the racing yacht will soon start in Kista, Sweden.

"The build site is going to be state of the art", comments construction manager Killian Bushe. "Since November, we have worked hard at putting the right team in place and getting all the necessary tools ready. This includes two ovens - one of them as big as the boat (25 meters) - and a smaller one for all the components. Our team is ready to start the construction and we are looking forward to this new challenge."

In the meantime, Ericsson Racing Team Principal Designer Juan Kouyoumdjian and his team have been developing what they believe is the best evolution of the VO 70 rule so far. "We have put a lot of effort into CFD analysis", comments Kouyoumdjian. "We have based our work on the new route, and have run more than 6,000 virtual races around the world with several models. Today, we know precisely which boat we are going to build and why."

15 people have been fully involved in the design of the Ericsson yacht since November. Their best designs have been built as models and tested in France, at the Bassin d'essais de carènes de Paris. This tank testing facility belongs to the French Ministry of Defense, and has been allocated exclusively to the Ericsson Racing Team for the duration of the tests. "It is the best tank testing unit in the world", comments Kouyoumdjian.

In order to make sure that Ericsson's customers can be part of the experience, the team will use the old Ericsson, campaigned in the last Volvo Ocean Race, for hospitality sailing around the world - starting in Scandinavia this spring. As a training and crew selection platform the team will use the old ABN AMRO One, recently acquired from its Dutch owners. The boat will be delivered to the team in mid-July 2007.

John Kostecki, the Ericsson Racing team skipper, competed (and won) the Heineken Regatta early this week in St-Maarten (Caribbean) on board ABN AMRO One. He commented: "It was great to sail on this boat. What I have seen and learned comforts me in our choice. She is quite different to sail compared to my experiences so far on board VO 70's. This boat is the current benchmark and will allow us to quantify the improvements we make with our new boat."