4 world leaders in race yacht construction have formed a consortium to produce the monohulls for the next 2 Volvo Ocean Races

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Now it is official: the Organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race have introduced the New Volvo 65 Class for the world's toughest ocean race. The new high tech yachts will be 65 foot (20m) long monohulls designed by Farr Yacht Design.

8 boats in less than 2 years

To guarantee the production of 8 boats in less than 2 years, Decision (Switzerland), Green Marine (UK), Multiplast (France) and Persico (Italy) have formed an organisation that was inspired by production programmes in the aeronautical industry. Each yard will provide pre equipped sub assemblies in order to reduce the construction time while at the same time guaranteeing extremely tight tolerances for dimensions and weight between the boats.

Decision boatyard in Switzerland will produce the bulkheads and internal structural elements. At the same time, Persico will mould the hulls and lay the longitudinal stiffeners in Italy. The decks will be constructed and fitted out at Multiplast in France before sending to Green Marine, the UK leader of the consortium, in charge of assembly, who will also finish and launch the boats. Green Marine will be the sole contactor for supplying the boats to the racing teams.

The consortium is committed to deliver one boat every seven weeks from June 2013; the eighth boat being delivered in May 2014, four months before the beginning of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014/2015.

A logical choice...

With more than 100 years combined experience in the construction of grand prix racing yachts, these four boat yards have the aim of producing the best series of ocean-going monohulls ever. The designs will deliver close racing on very strong and competitive boats.

Each organisation brings a wealth of experience to the project to meet this challenge:

	Around 60 composite boats since 1984. Builder of the Maxis Whitbread UBS Switzerland, Merit, Merit Cup and La Poste. Builder for the team Alinghi from 2000 to 2009. Builder of the solar planes Solar Impulse. 3 series productions (Grand Mistral, Decision 35 & MOD 70). 45 employees in Ecublens near Lausanne in Switzerland.
	Around 160 composite boats since 1982. Builder of Pirates, Kosatka, Ericsson 1, Assa Abloy, Intrum Justicia, Ran II... 120 employees in Hythe, near Southampton (GB). 6,000 m2 production capacity.
	More than 30 years experience in the design and production of boats and large composite parts (since 1981). Builder of Groupama 4, Groupama 3, Club Med, Orange 1 & 2, Geronimo, Brit Air, Generali,... Series production of competition multihulls (MOD70 project, 7 boats) 60 employees in a 5,000 m² air-conditioned hangar in Vannes, France.
	Renowned leader in the production of large scale milled tools since 1976 (aeronautical, aerospace, automobile, marine, rotational moulding) Builder of Moro di Venezia 1992 (keel and bulb), Luna Rossa 2007 & 2012 (keel), Abu Dhabi, Artemis Wing (moulds) 5,000 m2 of air conditioned hangars with 3 large CNC milling machines (25m, 17m & 8m) and 20 other milling machines. 50 employees in the group's Marine division in Bergamo, near Milan (Italy).

New Volvo 65 Class

Length Overall: 20m
Beam: 5.6m
Displacement: 10.75 tonnes
Draft: 4.7m
Air Draft: 30.4m

Bertrand Cardis, Director of Decision:

"After an initial meeting with Knut Frostad in Alicante in October 2012, it was clear: A One Design Class must be developed for the next Volvo Ocean Race.
We shared this idea with the managers at Multiplast, Dominique Dubois and Yann Penfornis, with whom we have had an excellent collaboration within the project MOD70. We imagined creating a network of boatyards including Green Marine, Persico, Multiplast and Decision, capable of constructing on time and to the high standards required by the fleet.
We are very enthusiastic to be involved in this innovative network which has rationalised the construction of these race boats.
We are delighted with this project and hope to contribute again to the success of this legendary race having been heavily involved in the past as a maxi yachts builder for all of the Whitbread races from 1984 to 1994."

Marcel Muller, Managing Director of Green Marine :

"Green Marine is very pleased to be involved in this historic project. Working together in a team with some of the worlds best boat building professionals gives us the capacity to deliver a new generation of ocean racers that will guarantee for speed, and reliable excitement at an unknown level of economy. Green Marine has built a number of successful Volvo Ocean contenders in the past and we are committed to help raising the world's most legendary ocean race to a new level."

Yann Penfornis, Director of Multiplast :

"This project started with a proposition from Multiplast and Decision to Knut Frostad, Head of the Volvo Ocean Race, at the race start last November in Alicante. We then strengthened the group with the arrival of the Green Marine and Persico teams, and we are now very happy to be part of this European consortium selected by Knut to take on this challenge. With Dominique Dubois, the President of Multiplast, we are putting everything in place to satisfy the most demanding teams in the world in the field of ocean racing."

Marcello Persico, Managing Director of Persico Marine:

"Persico is proud to have been selected to build part of the new generation Farr designed yacht, made for the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015. The Persico staff led by Mark Somerville are ready to start with the new challenge. For this new adventure Michelle Marie comes on board with Persico. Having already worked closely with Farr Yacht Design in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012, we are happy to be working with them again for the next Volvo Ocean Race."