The SCA boat was launched in October 2013 and has since sailed approximately 10,000 miles, just like a car it was ready for a service to check everything was in good condition. The maintenance week was a combination of using the Team SCA shore team, Green Marine and the Volvo Ocean Race shared services team. Team SCA shore manager Richard Mason brought us up to speed with the process and the results.
Credit : Photo Rick Tomlinson/Team SCA
“After that amount of miles and being such a new boat we are pleasantly surprised at how good the condition of the boat is. You go through and check all the bonding and composite structures, and you would normally expect to find some problems after you launch a boat like this, but there was nothing. The boat's structure is extremely sound, we found some minor issues, but nothing unexpected. It was a learning process for everyone, but on the whole compared to where you would normally be with a new built boat, where you might expect one to two weeks work, after five days of maintenance we were able to go back in the water straight away which was a great result.”
Apart from the boat what else was looked at during the week?
"We also had some guys from Southern Spars on site to pull the rig apart, we found a couple of little faults and replaced some parts, but on the whole it was pretty good."
How does the process work not using the team and Volvo’s shared services?
“On this occasion it was run primarily by the team but we had a representative from Green Marine (who built the boat) who came down for a full check through. We had some people who were potentially going to work in the boat yard, as part of the Volvo shared services during stopovers, who came along as a bit of a work experience.
Elsewhere, there were a couple of guys that will definitely be working on all the boats, the mast and the winch gear systems who were supplied by Volvo and they worked with us for the week as a bit of a dry run for them. Obviously they were learning as well and that helps us as we have their experience on site. It was a bit of a mixed one this time, but in the future it will be done through the shared services boat yard at stopovers ultimately we will be responsible to sign it all off, which is a process that is still being worked on."
How does the measurement process differ now the boats are all one design?
“That process has already taken place to a fair extent in the yard at Green Marine in the UK. As the boats leave the shed, Green Marine are making sure the boats are all weighed and equalised when they leave. Naturally there will be some small modifications and changes to the boat as the teams start sailing them, but there is a strict process for how this happens. We can’t just decide we want to make a change and do it.
For example if we as a team want to make a change we submit an application to the VCA (Volvo Class Association) and we then require three other teams to agree that it is a good change to make to the boat, then the VCA consider it and decide whether it will be approved. Prior to the race starting in Alicante there is going to be a period when all the boats will be stripped and checked again, and the main aim of that is to equalise everything and make sure everything is very strictly within the one design rules".
After a successful week out of the water, SCA is back to training as usual. The consistent breeze around the Canary Islands is once again providing a great location for training. The final candidates are batting it out for the remaining two sailing spots, along with the Onboard Reporter who will complete the eleven strong team.
From : Team SCA
