Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Azzam reached two milestones Tuesday, completing a 35,000-mile lap of the globe in 118 sailing days as they crossed the equator for the fourth time.
However, skipper Ian Walker said his team have plenty of work ahead of them, despite their holding a seven-point lead as Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race unfolds.
“To circumnavigate the world by ocean puts you in an exclusive group of seafarers and one which the whole crew is proud to be part of,” Walker said.
“Returning to the north marks a change of pace for the race. From now on, the legs become rapid-fire. They get shorter and quicker and there’s a lot at stake before the race ends in Sweden.
“Forty-five per cent of the points are ahead of us. We’re in a strong overall race position but remain 100 per cent focused on the Leg 6 finish line in Newport, United States.”
Adil Khalid, the Emirati sailor aboard Azzam, said he was proud that the boat has circled the globe.
“The UAE flag has been flown high all around the world,” he said. “I know all our fans back home will be cheering us on as we try to bring the VOR trophy home to Abu Dhabi.”
Azzam had battled up to fourth position on Tuesday, after bringing up the rear of the six-boat fleet over the weekend. Walker conceded the team had erred in dealing with a cloud line off the coast of Brazil, dropping them to the back of the race.
“While I’m confident we’ll bounce back I suspect it will be at least a week before we get any sort of chance to do so,” Walker said. “In the meantime, we work non-stop on our speed and we wait and watch how the weather will play out.
“The leg is not over.”
Walker was referring to the decisions the skippers need to make in the coming days on the best way to go through the Doldrums just north of the equator.
The Dutch team, Brunel, led at midday Tuesday, followed by China's Dongfeng, Spain's Mapfre and Azzam, about seven miles behind the leaders. Around 3,000nm remain in Leg 6, which takes the fleet from Itajai, in Brazil, to Newport, one-time home of the America's Cup, which is north and east of New York.
Leg 7 takes the fleet back across the Atlantic, to Lisbon, Leg 8 is a short run to Lorient, France, and the concluding Leg 9 finishes in the Baltic Sea at Gothenburg, Sweden, in late June.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
