The next Volvo Ocean Race will be contested in bigger yachts that organisers believe could take up to three weeks off the sailing time.
The race, once known as the Whitbread Round-the-World Race, marked its 30th anniversary this week with the announcement that a new class of yacht known as theVolvo Open 70 would be introduced.
The 70.5-foot (21.5m) VO70s will be significantly more powerful than the VO60s used for the past three events, racing director Andy Hindley said.
"The new VO70s will be 20 or 21 days quicker around the world," he said.
"The winning time of 123 racing days last time should come down to 103 days, making it a tempting target for those want to break the 100-day barrier."
New Zealander Erle Williams, a three-time veteran of the race, expected 500-nautical mile days to be common, with top speeds of over 40 knots in extreme conditions.
"The new VO70 boats will be dynamic to sail," he said.
"They are longer, lighter, more powerful, and have more sail area. There will be an even bigger demand for talent and experience to win."
The monohull record for distance covered in 24 hours is 484 miles and was set by German entry illbruck in the last Volvo race.
Race organisers said the VO60s had been developed and refined to the limits over the past decade, and sailors and designers agreed it was time for a fresh start.
The Volvo race is held every four years and the next contest is due to start in November, 2005, from a southern European port to be announced later this year.
Auckland, will not be a scheduled stop in the next race, having been replaced by Melbourne as the only stop in Australasia.
The yachts have passed through Auckland every race since 1977 but Volvo said in July it wanted "fresh and interesting" changes and Melbourne put up a "fantastic bid".
