The Whitbread 60 (W60), later known as the Volvo Ocean 60 (VO60), was a class of ocean racing yacht built to a "box rule" specifying key design parameters of the 10 smaller yachts which took part the 1993–94 Whitbread Round the World Race.
The class raced with such success that the following race was restricted to Whitbread 60s only. Its design was used for the last time in the 2001–02 Volvo Ocean Race, replaced thereafter by the sophisticated, canting keel Volvo Open 70, built to a new box rule.
Box Rule specifications
| Ocean 60 | |
|---|---|
| Overall Length: | 19.50 m (64 ft) |
| Beam: | 5.25 m (17 ft) |
| Draught: | 3.75 m (12 ft) |
| Air Draught: | 26.00 m (85 ft) |
| Displacement: | 13,500 kg (29,762 lb) |
Yachts
A total of 32 Volvo Ocean 60s were built for the three editions the class was used by the race. 28 of these competed in the race with 4 boats being built as training boats for two boat testing although race organizers tried to discourage this.
Designers
| Designer | 1993–1994 | 1997–1998 | 2001–2002 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Farr | 7 | 8(1) | 6 | 22 |
| John Swarbrick | (1) | 1 | ||
| Bouvet-Petit | 1 | 1 | ||
| Sidenko | 1 | 1 | ||
| Humphreys | 1 | 1 | ||
| Alan Andrews | 1 | 1 | ||
| Judel Vroljik | 1 | 1 | ||
| Laurie Davidson | 1(1) | 2 | ||
| German Frers | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 10(1) | 10(1) | 8(2) | 32 |
Comparison of Ocean 60 and Open 70
| Ocean 60 | Open 70 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Length: | 19.50 m (64 ft) | 21.50 m (71 ft) |
| Beam: | 5.25 m (17 ft) | 5.70 m (19 ft) |
| Draught: | 3.75 m (12 ft) | 4.50 m (15 ft) |
| Air Draught: | 26.00 m (85 ft) | 31.50 m (103 ft) |
| Displacement: | 13,500 kg (29,762 lb) | 14,000 kg (30,865 lb) |
| Ballast | Water Ballast | |
| Keel | Fixed | Canting |
References
- ^ "National Geographic: Volvo Ocean Race--Map, History, Dates". www.nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2001. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- "Volvo Ocean 70". www.perrottidesign.com.
External links
- Volvo Ocean Race Archived 2009-12-26 at the Wayback Machine – Official site
- Volvo Ocean Race TV – Official Web TV site
- Andrews 60 – A W60 design detail
- speedsailing – V.O.60 ILLBRUCK history and boat details
| The Ocean Race | |
|---|---|
| Whitbread Round the World Race | |
| Volvo Ocean Race | |
| The Ocean Race | |
| The Ocean Race Europe | |
| Class | |
| Related articles | |