PUMA Volvo Ocean Race entry makes final preparations

These images provide a tantalizing preview of the as yet unnamed PUMA entry for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 before it hits the waters of Boston Harbor for its official christening on May 12th.

Built over a tight six month schedule with only days to spare, the new generation Volvo Open 70 was moved under cover of darkness from Goetz Custom Boats in Bristol, Rhode Island to the Newport shipyard in Newport for its final touches. The 20-mile journey took more than two hours.

"This was certainly an important milestone for PUMA Ocean Racing and our new boat,” said PUMA skipper Ken Read. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us.”

The name and look of the boat will be revealed when it's christened in Boston Harbour at the The Institute of Contemporary Art shortly after the launch of the team's website (PUMAOceanRacing.com) in early May..

The 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race gets underway with an in port race in Alicante, Spain on October 4th followed by the 6,500Nm first leg to Cape Town, South Africa. Seven teams so far are listed on the Volvo Ocean Race site as confirmed competitors for the biennial round-the-world event.