SCA: The first VO65 hits the water
by Olsson K Jörgen 23 Sep 2013 21:08 BST
23 September 2013
SCA's VO65 for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 was put in the water © Rick Tomlinson
SCA's race boat for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 was put in the water late this afternoon. It is the first of the radical new VO65 racing yachts that will be used for the next two editions of the Race.
The SCA boat, with its strong magenta colour and nature-inspired graphic design, left the Green Marine boatyard in the UK earlier this morning, and was transported by barge across Southampton Water to Williams Yard where it was gently craned into the water for the first time.
The Team SCA shore team and a small number of its all-female crew have been helping prepare the boat. During this week, a mixed group of experts will complete technical sea trials including the pull-down test when the boat is turned on its side, before SCA takes ownership of it at the end of the week.
The all-female Team SCA crew is looking forward to start sailing with the boat. Liz Wardley (AUS), Boat Captain, commented: "It is amazing to see it finally finished. The whole crew is looking forward to getting to know the boat next week. As the first team out sailing the new VO65 we are keen to put our hard training to date into practice. We now have 12 months left to master this boat before the Race starts."
The remaining team from SCA, made up of both confirmed and selected crew, will arrive in the UK at the weekend and will spend the following week trialling the boat in the South of England before sailing her back to the team's base in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote, in early October.
SCA is a leading global hygiene and forest products company and will be participating in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 with an all-female team.