WHAT NEXT?

What does the future hold for the famous round the World race? We talk to organisers, sailors and teams about What the next edition might look like

How can the Volvo Ocean Race top that? Every chapter of this event – the maxi years, the iconic Whitbread 60s, the radical VO70S – has its loyal devotees. Will the 2018 finish be fondly remembered by fans of the one-design 65s, and how on earth can it go one better?

Because this is the end of an era; Volvo no longer owns its eponymous race; the reins of power have transferred – we suspect for a startlingly small sum – to Atlant Ocean Racing. Current co-ceos Richard Brisius and Johan Salén now not only run, but own the event.

Atlant has announced that the next event will take place in 2021, but as the fleet arrived in the Hague what format that race might take, what it might be sailed in, where it might go and who it might be crewed by remained very open questions.

Brisius and Salén understand the heritage of this race. They competed in it in 1989-90, and have successfully managed teams including winners EF Language (1997-98) and Ericsson 4 (2008-09). They also ran the all-female Team SCA in the last edition.

“It wasn’t the plan the way things have evolved, but it’s very exciting for us,” Salén said, “We love this event, we’ve been involved in it for 30 years.”

That they have been so deeply involved in the race encouraged many sailors I spoke to. They want to feel that the event is in good hands, because there is nervousness now. Over the coming weeks the stakeholder CEOS and CMOS who make the decision whether to sign, or not to sign, for the next one will have gone, back to boardroom negotiations and other projects. Right now the sailors have nothing to offer them.

“Most of these big decisions – the route and so on – it’s actually quite easy to get an agreement on,” commented Salén, “The big exception is the class of boat, which is very emotional and subjective.”

The IMOCA 60 is current favourite to become the new class, possibly with a second fleet of the one-design Volvo 65s as well.

“We have had very good discussions with IMOCA. It’s not a done deal yet. But it’s the most likely scenario and a very attractive scenario and what the race needs,” Salén told us.

To say there is no consensus would be an understatement. Bouwe Bekking has sailed in eight versions of the race, he told me the next one should be in IMOCA 60s. Akzonobel watch captain Chris Nicholson has sailed in six, he thinks it should be the one-design VO65S again.

Mapfre watch captain Rob Greenhalgh doesn’t think the VO65S can race around the world again, Scallywag skipper David Witt thinks it wouldn’t be safe to try. Dee Caffari says having talked to The Boatyard staff she’s confident they could, maybe modified with new keels, rigs or foil configurations. Others believe that the IMOCA 60s, designed to be sailed on a largely downwind course single- or double-handed, would founder under the demands of being raced fully crewed.

“These boats can’t go again because they’ve done two laps, so you have to build some new boats, and if you build new boats you don’t build Volvo 65s,” observes Greenhalgh.

“My personal opinion is for a slightly larger one-design, with a foil, a more modern Volvo 65 if you like, maybe about 68 feet.”