It is a little soon to be asking whether Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ador) is to take part in the next Volvo Ocean Race as it is only a week since Azzam sealed ocean sailing's greatest title.
That Volvo win was built over the nine months of the race and almost another year before that of preparations.
So it is only fair that Ian Walker, Adil Khalid, the rest of Ador and the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA) and Sports Council want to take some time to let the victory sink in before deciding what to do next.
In any case, there is plenty that needs doing to draw a final line under this project.
The TCA will carry out their own presumably wide-ranging review and evaluate what kind of returns they have received from Azzam, the victory and the Abu Dhabi stopover, which attracted 120,000 visitors to the race village last December. An entry in the Volvo is not a small investment.
So a decision on whether Ador will continue and take part in the next Volvo in 2017/18 will not be made quickly. It could take six months and will be made with both head and heart firmly in the right place.
For what it is worth I see this as precisely the kind of moment that needs to be seized upon if the original charter of the project is to be achieved.
In 2009, the TCA was looking for ways to expand on an already established maritime tradition as well as to bump up tourism. A Volvo win, as momentous as it may seem, is only the beginning of that process.
The question Walker posed on Monday while in Abu Dhabi is compelling: once you have won it, what possible driving force remains in a next race?
It was not just a win, either. The comprehensiveness of Azzam's victory is worth recounting: the overall race title, the in-port series, the award for best on-board reporter as well as for the best navigator. A tough task to follow that up, or, outlandishly, better it.
But, as Walker’s long-time business partner and friend, and Ador’s commercial director, Jamie Boag, pointed out, there are different ways of winning.
Azzam was one of two boats in the race that could be said to have had an agenda that went beyond just winning. Alongside Dongfeng Race Team, Ador are seeking to revitalise a national legacy of sailing.
Dongfeng is an instructive example. They had six Chinese sailors in their squad and, on each leg, made sure at least two were part of the crew. A few of them had never sailed before they got involved with the project.
That is what Azzam should be aiming for, to find other Adil Khalids. They found a few in the search that led to Khalid in January 2011.
“There are more Emiratis that we need to target out there,” Boag said. “Adil has done well. But maybe there’s more we could recruit in the next project. Maybe we try to win it in a different way.”
Presumably, with more Emirati sailors.
In a sense, what Azzam has done is put the top of the pyramid in place. Having an Emirati as part of the crew was an achievement but, like Dongfeng, one way forward is to find some more for the next race.
Perhaps Ador does not need to return to the Volvo race, specifically. Maybe there are other avenues for them to travel, other ways in which they can contribute to grass-roots sailing in the country.
“We need to think much more about the legacy here,” Walker said. “We’ve done very well at the top of the pyramid in inspiring people by getting attention. There’s a lot of work at ground level, but maybe we need to help more lower down.”
From the moment the title was won, Walker has maintained that it should only be the beginning. The hard part was winning the race. The hardest part will be to build upon it.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
