Volvo Ocean Race chief measurer James Dadd gave Team Russia the green light after successfully completing its pull down test in Portland Harbour, on the south coast of England today.

The Team, fresh back from safety training in Newcastle, were on hand to witness the tests required by VOR to check the hydraulics of the canting keel. With almost 72 tonnes of force being expended through the Volvo Open 70 ‘Kosatka’, this was also a major test of the boats structural integrity and design.

Kosatka’s designers Rob and Tom Humphreys were on hand during the tes!t along with Greg Waters from Central Coast Hydraulics & Engineering w ho had flown in from Australia. This was Greg’s fourth VO70 being tested for the Race, joining a prestigious list of canting keel designs including Speedboat, Leopard and Wild Oats X1 that all sport hydraulics designed and installed by his company.

Team Russia’s shore team led by Tim Dean completed the tests set out by Dadd to ensure the boat is rule compliant to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race. Once Kosatka was weighed, she was put back into the water and prepared for the pull down. The rule clearly requires that the keel be canted horizontally in the air on one hydraulic ram and then the processes repeated on the other side.

The Team are now preparing the boat for its 2,000 nautical mile qualifying trip, which they plan to complete later this week.

For more information, visit www.teamrussia.org .