A consortium of companies, governments and knowledge institutions known as Deltares and Marin are working with team AkzoNobel to try to improve the team’s performance in wind and waves during the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-2018.

As an example of how Dutch research and top sports can work together, the project links the challenging Volvo Ocean Race to innovative, sustainable shipping, clean oceans and climate models. The results of this research will be presented in June 2018 at the conference “Future of the Oceans” during the Volvo Ocean Race’s final stopover in The Hague.

Maximum Performance

The objective of the cooperative project is to use Deltares’ knowledge of global tidal and current circulation and Marin’s knowledge on sail assisted propulsion in waves to help squeeze the maximum performance out of the team AkzoNobel Volvo Ocean 65 yacht, skippered by Simeon Tienpont. Moreover, the research could enable both Marin and Deltares to develop new products and services for better ships and blue oceans.

Tests and Verification

As part of this research, Marin has performed a numerical study using data recorded on board the boat and validated by tank tests using a scale model VO65. Deltares tested the reliability and usability of the predictions provided by the Global Tide and Surge Models and used the feedback and experience from the team to improve the overall performance of the system and make it available to more users.

Final Extra Few Percentages of Performance

Skipper Simeon Tienpont: ‘We are very pleased to work together with this consortium in the preparation phase and during the race. With their unique combination of computer calculations, model tests and on-board measurements, we hope to be able to get the final extra few percentages of performance out of our VO65 during the roughest times of the race.’

Consortium Participants

The consortium participants are: Steam Ocean Racing, Shell Nederland, Shell Shipping and Trading, Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors, Ministerie Infrastructuur en Waterstaat, Nederland Maritiemland (NML), HHR Delfland, Province Zuid-Holland, Rijkswaterstaat, C- Job Naval Architects, Deltares and Marin on behalf of the Top Sector Water & Maritime.

Other performance partners with Steam Ocean Racing: Damen Shipyards, NileDutch, Erasmus Medisch Centrum, Royal Dutch Navy.

Video

As part of the research on future zero-emission ships, Marin has had the opportunity to perform calculations, model tests and measurements on the Volvo Ocean 65 (VO65) racing yacht of Simeon Tienpont. This way, the organisation links top sport in the challenging Volvo Ocean Race to innovative, sustainable shipping. Watch the video showing the tests as well as some of the projects that may benefit from them.