CARDIGAN boat builder Swallow Yachts will showcase its new, innovative trailerable sailing cruiser when the world’s toughest and most prestigious sailing event, the Volvo Ocean Race arrives in Cardiff.

The design of the new COAST 250 (Combined Outboard And Sail Technology) combines Swallow Yachts’ customary outstanding sailing performance with stable, high speed performance under power, enabling sailors to extend their time on the water, or return rapidly to port in the event of bad weather.

Initial trials of the boat will be carried out this month, so that it is ready to showcase at the Volvo Ocean Race Village in May/June, when visitors will descend on the Welsh capital as the fleet arrives following its 2,900 nautical mile voyage across the Atlantic from Newport, Rhode Island on Sunday May 27 for a 14-day stopover.

Matt Newland, Swallow’s managing director, said: “We’ve managed to achieve something special through a mix of novel hull design and development using computational fluid dynamics, innovative powertrain layout and the integration and development of adaptive technologies into the cruising hull.

“It’s so exciting to have the opportunity to showcase the new cruiser to an international audience in our own country when the global Volvo Ocean Race comes to town.”

The 45,000 nautical mile Volvo Ocean Race set out from Alicante last October, journeying across the great oceans with stopovers in some of the most famous maritime destinations such as Hong Kong, Cape Town and Auckland.

When it leaves Cardiff on June 10, it moves on to Gothenburg and The Hague for its finale at the end of June.

While the fleet is in Cardiff, the race village will be a huge attraction, with visitors from around the world converging on the waterfront and giving Swallow Yachts a great opportunity to promote its products to a global audience.

Swallow Yachts produce a range of day boats that combine classic looks with very modern performance.

Based in Cardigan, they have shipped boats all over the world and offer a comprehensive shipping service. In addition to production boats, the company also offers more bespoke craft.