Set side by side along the waterfront like pit crews at a motor race, the tents housing the teams participating in the Volvo Ocean Race were mostly a study in symmetry.
With the first race just hours away, the majority of the teams were a study in hustle, bustle and muscle, as crews scurried around, trying to solve last-minute issues with manpower and metaphorical lifelines.
One team, however, was conspicuous in its comparative silence. The Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (ADOR) team headquarters were so subdued on Thursday that Ian Walker’s mobile phone could be heard vibrating as text messages, calls and emails arrived.
The skipper of Azzam, the ADOR entry in the around-the-world race, thumbed out a text response while he answered a question. Given that stress levels elsewhere were ratcheting up, he was a study in multi-tasking control.
Two days removed from VOR’s in-port opener, Walker leaned, 44, back in a folding chair and tried to list his pre-race pressure points.
“What are my biggest concerns?” he said, parroting a query. Long pause. Scratches head.
“I feel like we’re exactly where we want to be. There is nothing that I am sitting here thinking, ‘I wish we had more of this or more of that’, or, ‘I should have hired this person or that person’. I’m very, very comfortable with where we are at. Almost too comfortable.”
Spending weeks at a time in a carbon-fibre torpedo over the next nine months will change the latter soon enough. But in a race where uncertainty is as predictable as sunrise, Azzam has targeted the crucial elements and attacked with relish.
In his second go-round running the ADOR team, the big issues were knocked down months ago, when the team formed a detailed, year-long game plan, began filling the crew and adjusting to this year’s standardised Volvo 65 boats, which all seven teams will use.
Sailors often have to zigzag their way through the wind, but Azzam has rarely deviated, plotting a direct course to a finish line that is nine long months away with a remarkably meticulous preparation period.
“It’s almost like when you have studied for your exams,” Walker said. “You have done the revision and now you are quite looking forward to the exam, looking forward to the result. We’re right where we wanted to be and, hopefully, that’s in the right place.”
In addition to 18,000 nautical miles of boat debugging completed over the past few months, Walker has carefully constructed a crew and engaged in weeks of mind-numbing arithmetic research.
In fact, when Azzam hits the water tomorrow for the in-port exercise, which will not count in the cumulative race totals, the boat will stand as testament to the importance of algorithms and biorhythms. Maths and morale will be crucial cogs, especially with the boats being identical in design.
After experiencing chemistry issues in the VOR three years ago, character and camaraderie become key issues for Walker. Some general managers in sport are forced to decide between ability and chemistry.
Walked opted for a third quality. “The key word across any team, in my opinion, is respect,” he said.
“You can be best of friends, or maybe even not get on, but as long as you respect each other as a person and professionally, you will be all right.”
Some run their ships with unbending autonomy, but Walker weighed input from the sailors hired as he went along.
“You slowly grow the team from a small nucleus,” said Walker, whose eight-man sailing crew includes six nationalities. “I think if you look at our team we definitely get on well and we can play to that.
“It was one of our problems last time, because the boat wasn’t as fast as we had hoped and we had a few setbacks. It put a lot of pressure on people, because you have people who really were there to win, and then you’re not winning. Do you throw the towel in or do they redouble their efforts, or do you start the blame game or aligning yourself so that you’re not seen as the one who made a mistake?
“The relations weren’t strong enough in times of adversity. I think that this time around, we’re going to be very, very strong.”
Azzam spent weeks at sea, compiling baseline data for their on-board computers, and hired a French data analyst to crunch the numbers. The team amassed a database that weighs sail selection, sea state, wind speed and sailing angles. Armed with the latest weather forecast, the computer spits out the projected fastest route.
Data was recorded five times per second and catalogued, somewhat akin to Formula One telemetry.
On identical boats where everybody is seeking to exploit the smallest advantage, ADOR has invested in technology.
“We’re not going around a grand prix track,” Walker said. “It’s a lot more complicated than that. We’ve got a moving surface.”
At the moment, Azzam is figuratively on terra firma in every way.
“I’ve been saying this for weeks,” Walker said. “I don’t use the word confident, though I guess I am confident. I use the word comfortable.”
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Naga
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Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
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The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The%20specs
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THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
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MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
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The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
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Company%20Profile
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