Everything you need to know about the Assembly Period
Everything you need to know about the Assembly Period:
You might have noticed that the Volvo Ocean Race teams have been chalking up plenty of miles recently. Well, with the Assembly Period starting on Monday 18 September, it’s their last chance to get to grips with the boat for a couple of weeks.
So what is an Assembly Period, and why do we need it? It’s a mandatory part of the pre-race preparation, when all teams must report to the Boatyard facility in Lisbon, Portugal, so their boats can be lifted out of the water and given a final once over before the start of another ocean marathon.
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[Blatant but amusing product placement that you can see for yourself at the link]
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With nearly 9,000 nautical miles until the next big service in Cape Town, the Boatyard will do a lot more than just kick the tyres. The masts will all come out to be scanned by non-destructive testing specialists to confirm that the challenging Leg Zero racing didn’t leave any lasting effects.
To guarantee the best level of service the Boatyard uses the original manufacturers to maintain the equipment on the Volvo Ocean 65s.
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In short, the Boatyard becomes a dusty, oily version of the United Nations and the core staff jumps from 20 to 55 during the intensive maintenance periods.
Reposted from http://ift.tt/2xKeGMU.
