Spain’s VO70 “MoviStar” breaks the World Sailing Speed Record

“Pedro! We just broke the world record!” With the aid of a short and simple satellite phone call from the Pacific Ocean, MoviStar skipper Bouwe Bekking communicated the best news back to the Head Office of the MoviStar Sailing Team in Spain. After months of preparation and just a few days into the second part of their ocean traning schedule for the Volvo Ocean Race, Bouwe excitedly told his colleagues the big news: “We covered 530 miles over 24 hours! We’re thrilled!”

“The boat and the team are giving great results and the feeling on board is fantastic. We felt confident that we could beat some record, but this was a pleasing surprise” continued skipper Bekking. Four days out of Wellington (New Zealand) en route to Cape Horn (Chile) travelling south-southeast some 2.000 miles, the MoviStar once again confirms everybody’s expectations for the new VO 70: “We hoped that the boat would give us many pleasant surprises – confessed Pedro Campos, General Manager of the team -, but in all honesty, we never thought we’d get such great news so soon!”

“The first thing I want to do is to congratulate the whole crew and the team in general for bringing home this incredible record to Spain. This news illustrates the excellent work that’s been carried out up till now. While we want to remain prudent, the news makes us feel quite optimistic in our expectations for the future” continued Campos.

Iker Martínez –the Spanish 49er gold medallist in Athens 2004– spoke about the feat noting “we averaged 22,08 knots over 24 hours. The boat literally flew! It’s hard to describe the sensation as it cuts through the waves at this speed”.

Pepe Ribes, bowman and on-board communication manager, shared the optimism: “I think its fantastic news. As with any new boat, the MoviStar has had its share of problems, with needed adjustments and changes, but we’re seeing that it’s fast and dependable. Its innovative systems, such as the canting keel, require much training but I’m sure we can better our results with the schedule of activity going on now”.

Great news for sailing

“This is brilliant news - just what the boat was designed for”. Glenn Bourke, Chief Executive of the Volvo Ocean Race, openly expressed his enthusiasm for the achievement. “Congratulations to the MoviStar team. Our speed predictions for the new Volvo Open 70 were right on target, showing that it’s possible to cover 500 nautical miles in just one day. The new record of 530 miles –pending ratification by the World Speed Sailing Record Council– shows without a doubt just how fast the new design is”.

Pedro Campos is aware of the magnitude of the news: “This is a historic record for sailing. Nobody has ever gone so far in just 24 hours sailing in a single hull boat. And this was just a training session! The whole team’s extremely proud of the accomplishment. Seeing Spain’s flag and the emblem of Galicia’s Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo gracing this magnificent boat just adds to sense of satisfaction and appreciation”.

The former Volvo Ocean Race class, the VO 60, was well known to be a potential force in breaking records. The reigning mark for a single hull yacht under 60 foot, 484 miles in 24 hours and averaging 20,16 knots of speed, was set by the Illbruk of John Kostecki on April 30, 2002.

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