CAPE TOWN // Another dance between seven boats and more than 6,000 nautical miles of ocean began on Wednesday with the start of the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cape Town.
Between December 9 and 19, the boats will begin to arrive in Abu Dhabi. The favourite for this leg is Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Azzam, who won the first leg and the in-port race in Cape Town this week.
Read more: Volvo Ocean Race sailors compete with a soldier mentality
Team Brunel led the fleet out of the inshore skirmishes at Table Bay, about 45 minutes after the official start of the race. Azzam were content with a cautious start, leaving the bay in last place, but comfortable in the knowledge there was a long way to go.
Before the start, the crews were in good spirits as they mingled with family and friends and bid their farewells.
Their recovery period and ensuing preparations have gone well over the past few weeks, but predictions about the leg were being made with great reluctance.
Uncertain weather heading out from Cape Town is merely one reason, although the boats were sent on their way under brilliant blue skies and with winds between 20 to 30 knots.
During the first evening, winds are expected to rise and then drop so it will be a tricky opening to negotiate, while there is the possibility of tropical cyclones and monsoon weather later on the leg.
Much of the route has not been seen by the 59 sailors as this is only the second time the race has included this leg as the threat of piracy caused it to be heavily disrupted in the previous race.
Sailing through another area of doldrums and the Strait of Hormuz will present specific but unexpected challenges, while three exclusion zones will complicate strategy for the crews.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
