CLASS40 IBSA: with the details and accessories phase, the countdown to the launch officially begins

The countdown to the technical launch has officially begun.  In fact, there is less than a week to go before the moment when the IBSA Class40 enters the water for the first time; indeed, in recent days the “detail phase” has begun, the finishing touches that equip the craft with all its accessories, thus giving it the appearance of a racing boat.

However, the definition “accessories” should not be misleading, as it has nothing to do with comfort.  The fiberglass interiors of the new IBSA boat are in fact basic.  And, as with all ocean racing boats, there is no wood panelling: although it would make navigation more comfortable, it would also weigh too much, and above all it would “hide” the hull, which would not be easily accessible for repairs and checks.  Apart from the structural bulkheads and four layered caissons for the buoyancy reserve – which effectively make the boat unsinkable – there are no other structures.

Comfort is therefore not a priority: the “accessories” are therefore the technical elements, such as ballasts – 750-liter tanks which, by letting the sea water in and out thanks to pumping systems, help counteract the heeling of the boat due to the wind and keep it straight for better efficiency.

Winch stations are built on the deck, and the equipment and electronics are assembled (equipment, on-board systems, electrical circuits, satellite systems, rudder-governing devices).  The final phase includes the deco, i.e. the painting and positioning of the graphic elements.

At this point, the boat is ready to “come out into the open”: at the shipyard, outside the shed where it was built and stored since last February, the keel is fitted, then masts and yards are installed. At this point, everything is ready: the appointment is for August 3 at 5 pm for the technical launch, with the emotion to see the keel touch the water for the first time.