Volvo Ocean Race overall leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing have taken a big strategic gamble on Leg 2 to achieve their ambition of sailing into their home port as stage victors.
Their British skipper Ian Walker is determined to follow Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One triumph in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
“If there is one leg for us to win, it’s this one,” he told a media conference before the fleet left Cape Town last Wednesday.
The 5,200 nautical mile trip from South Africa to Abu Dhabi is one of the toughest in the nine-month offshore marathon sailing event, however, and Walker’s crew have a tough task to emulate their narrow Leg 1 (Alicante, Spain to Cape Town) triumph.
Barring their way, is a possible cyclone in the Indian Ocean in three or four days and to add to Walker’s headaches, his one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boat has suffered some breakages, including a tear in his A3 sail and a snapped steering cable. Both have been since fixed.
They lie fourth behind Leg 2 pacesetters Team Brunel, some 10nm adrift of the Dutch team.
Their navigator Simon Fisher has responded to Abu Dhabi’s challenges by sailing far west of the rest of the seven-strong fleet in the Indian Ocean, gambling on the wind pressure there to be higher than their rivals have to the east.
“It is certainly nervous times for us right now,” said Walker, 44, who is gunning for his first Volvo Ocean Race victory at his third attempt as skipper. “Last night we were out of sight of everyone.”
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
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'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
