The build of the Green Team Volvo Open 70 is underway at McConaghy Boats in China. The moulds are completed and the hull lamination has begun. Reichel Pugh and the structural engineers at Applied Structural Analysis Ltd (ASTA) are working on all the drawings to a strict timescale. The deck plan is well advanced as is the sail plan. The rig is under design and the team have completed their first sail wind tunnel testing in Auckland, New Zealand. The aim is to have the boat commissioned in June 2008.

"I am pleased with the design and build team we have put in place and the progress made to date. Reichel Pugh have had great success in ocean racing, even though this will be their first Volvo project. They were the designers behind Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats; two of the most successful and fastest canting keel offshore racing yachts on the planet. Eamon and I worked with McConaghy Boats in China this year on the build of the TP52 Patches and were delighted with the results. We have already started wind tunnel testing sail designs with North Sails UK and the mast will be built by Southern Spars in New Zealand," explained Walker on their choices for the design and build of the Volvo Open 70.