Abu Dhabi’s crew of able-bodied seamen are battening down the hatches ahead of their longest offshore test so far.
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (ADOR), led by skipper Ian Walker, has set off for an 8,000-mile double Atlantic Ocean training crossing aboard their yacht, Azzam.
The challenging 11-day journey will take the nine-man team from their training base in Cascais, Portugal to Newport, Rhode Island. Double Olympic silver medallist Walker said the voyage marks a major milestone in the crew’s preparation for the Volvo Ocean Race in Abu Dhabi.
“So far we have completed a little over 7,000 training miles on the new-look Azzam,” Walker said. “Our longest offshore sail to date was a four day, 1,500 mile training sail around Madeira, over to the North African coast and back to Cascais.
“There’s a big difference between these smaller trips and going offshore for 10 to 12 days. The transatlantic is going to be a big step up but I think that mentally it will be good for the team to be offshore for a long period. I often get asked what the hardest leg of the Volvo Ocean Race is. It’s always a difficult one to answer as each leg has its own challenges, but for sure the Atlantic crossing has seen some of the worst conditions for many of the teams in previous races. You must treat the Atlantic with the respect it deserves.”
The Atlantic journey will give ADOR a glimpse into how to sail Azzam to the best of its ability come race time.
“Everyone has been looking forward to this new training phase,” added Walker. “We’re going to be sailing in full race mode and our goal is simply to get to Newport as quickly as we can. We will be testing some of the race plans we have put in place.”
After arriving into Newport, ADOR will have only a few days of rest before setting sail on 9th July for the Isle of Wight’s mega sailing regatta.
To follow ADOR’s progress visit: www.facebook.com/AbuDhabiOceanRacing
