Aren’t these boats getting stranger and uglier with every refit?

This is the new shape of Vincent Riou’s Open 60 PRB, which emerged this week from an overhaul prior to The Transat next month. The most startling difference is the addition of this motorboat style strake from the bow running a third of the way aft.

Riou comments that the strakes were laminated on to the hull sides on the advice of designer Bruce Farr. I guess the intention is that when the boat is hard reaching they will work in the same way as the lifting strakes of a motorboat, which keep the bow up, reduce planing resistance and act like spray rails to divert water away from the deck (check out the incredible Hugo Boss video to see just how many tons of water these beasts can ship).

JP Dick’s Paprec-Virbac, another Farr design, already has trim tabs on the rudders – maybe PRB’s will, too?

A new carbon wingmast has been stepped as well, though all Riou will say of the difference between this and the one that broke during the Barcelona World Race is that it’s stronger. Hope so.