Congratulations to the lads on ABN AMRO TWO who today broke the 24 hour speed record again and again to finally reach an amazing 560 miles!
It proves what the amazing boats of the Volvo 70s are capable of achieving. All the bells and whistles from carbon hulls to canting keels are stretching what a racing monohull can do. But there has been criticism of the new designs as well.
One frequently heard complaint is that they are too easy to break. But new designs are oft tested to destruction on their first real trials. And there are no end of Open 60s that have broken in the anvil of the Bay of Biscay. Mike Sanderson for one has been emailing his support for Black Betty and her cousins.
A more serious complaint is the complexity means high cost which means small fleets. Which raises the question, what makes an exciting Volvo? Is it the latest technology and record breaking speeds or is following a pack of competitors?
What do you think?
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