A group of Australian businessmen are ignoring the downturn in the boat-building industry and are launching a new 12.5m power catamaran. The group has formed Montebello Yachts, and they have commissioned New Zealand naval architect Roger Hill to provide the design. Hill is a multi-hull specialist with 32 years experience in boat design.

The new Montebello yacht will start at $700,000. It’s designed for offshore fishing expeditions. For more details, read this article in The Australian.

The Volvo Ocean Race has been called the “Everest of Sailing”.  Held every three years and currently underway, the race takes place over nine months.  Seven teams with 11 crew members each started in Alicante, Spain last October and will complete the race in St. Petersburg, Russia in June.  The race covers over 37,000 nautical miles, traversing the world’s most dangerous seas over the course of ten legs between Cape Town (South Africa), Kochi (India), Singapore (China), Qingdao (China), rounding Cape Horn to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and then onto Boston (U.S.A.), Galway (Ireland), Goteborg (Sweden), Stockholm (Sweden) and the finish at St. Petersburg.

The race is a blend of world class sailing competition and cutting edge adventure.  Onshore glamour is contrasted with offshore life-and-death drama.  This is one of the most dangerous team competitions in the world.  Over two billion people are expected to watch televised reports on the race before its finish.

On March 17, team Ericsson 3 led the race around Cape Horn, followed by team Ericsson 4. The conditions were milder than expected.  The lighthouse at Cape Horn is the first sign of civilization for the teams after a month at sea.  Leg 5 of the race finishes up with a sprint to Rio de Janeiro.

Visit the Volvo Ocean Race website for more information.