On board Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s (Ador) Azzam, skipper Ian Walker was giving an interview as the team completed the ninth and final leg of the VOR.
What was unusual was that he looked like a man who had just unburdened himself of a heavy load.
A haggard look had become a bit of a theme on Walker’s face through the nine months of the race. It was the perfect advertisement for the toll the event takes on the individuals involved.
Yesterday Azzam finished the last leg in fifth place, a circumstance that usually would have deepened Walker’s frown. But by finishing and not incurring penalty points, they completed the formality of becoming winners of the 2014/15 VOR.
Walker’s change of demeanour then was real and deserved. A little later, as he and the Emirati sailor, Adil Khalid, lifted the race trophy, there was even elation.
As he dispelled his solitary superstition – Walker had spent a year diligently avoiding looking at or touching the trophy – by holding the big silver prize aloft yesterday, he completed “the fulfilment of a huge dream”.
Even for a double Olympic silver medallist, Walker said it was an achievement that needed time to sink in and one he would not compare to his other triumphs. “It’s tough, but this is special, to win with a group of people, with a country behind us,” he said. “It’s a big, big day.”
In winning two legs outright and finishing on the podium in seven out of the eight previous legs, the hard work had already been done before Gothenburg arrived.
The win was, in fact, secured at Lorient two weeks ago, which turned this final leg into a pleasant sailing excursion, doubling up as a victory procession.
“We had a very relaxed leg, where we were sort of racing but didn’t care too much,” Walker said. “It was a special moment to be able to do those miles in those conditions with no pressure at all.”
The fact Team Alvimedica won this final leg only highlighted the magnitude of Azzam’s triumph.
The leg win for Charlie Enright and his men meant six of the seven-boat fleet had won a leg in this race. If Team Vestas had not missed five legs after wrecking their boat, they would probably have completed the set.
To win in such a closely fought race holds extra meaning.
“I knew the boats wouldn’t gain us any advantage, or the sails, so it was important to get the right team together, to get the most experienced guys together,” said Walker, who became the first British captain to win the race.
“Everyone’s had a role to play, on the boat, and on our onshore team.
“I wish I was sharing this moment with Neal McDonald (the veteran sailor who is Azzam’s performance director).
“He was the first person I hired, the guy I look up to most and one who kept me in control throughout.
“This trophy means nothing if you haven’t sailed against the best sailors in the world. We want to congratulate everybody we’ve raced against – we’ve had some incredible battles and tight finishes, and we’ve all made ourselves better sailors.”
As has been the case in previous legs, Khalid waved the UAE flag as the boat sailed into the dock.
As the only Arab sailor in the race, as the figurehead of Azzam’s ambitions, it was a hugely significant moment. In celebration, his crew threw him into the water after they had docked. His was possibly the widest smile among the trophy lifters.
Khaled has now completed the race twice, though he had to sit out three legs in this race with a stomach bug that dogged him from the stopover at Sanya.
“This is the greatest moment of my life,” he said. “I am immensely proud for my crewmates and my country.
“The Abu Dhabi flag has been flown proudly at every stopover throughout the race and now we have sealed a wonderful victory our fans in the UAE and around the world can celebrate.”
