VO70s go sailing

Latest images from Telefonica, Team Russia, Ericsson Racing Team and Puma

In the US and Europe Volvo Ocean Race campaigns have been taking to the water. In Alicante the first of Telefonica's two Farr Yacht Design-designed boats was dipped for the first time and...my... that would be another boat with a spray rail then.

The Farr-designed spray rail is not nearly as dramatic as the double spray rails seen on the Humphreys-designed Team Russia (see page 4). The question is - are they legal? The rule makers at Volvo have deemed so, but Juan Kouyoumdjian, who has designed the two Ericsson boats, thinks not. He maintains the spray rails are there to provide lift and this therefore qualifies them as an 'appendage'. We haven't spoken to Telefonica about this, but Team Russia maintain that because their spray rails are integral to the hull (they are not a retrofit, as they have been on for example the Farr designed Open 60s) they are not appendages but hollows, legal within the forward 7m of the boat according to the rules.

Meanwhile having tentatively gone sailing under mainsail alone at the beginning of last week, so Team Russia have been out yachting properly over the weekend (see pages 3 and 4), while Ken Read and his crew were competing at the New York Yacht Club's Annual Regatta (see page 5).

And in the Canaries, Ericsson Racing Team have been two boating as they await the arrival of their new Juan K design (see Oskar Kilhborg's very cool pics on page 6 and on....)

More photos on the following pages....