Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (ADOR) — the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR)-contesting team from the UAE capital — suffered a setback ahead of Leg 4 of the epic round-the-world challenge, which takes the fleet from China to New Zealand, when sole Emirati crew member Adel Khalid was struck down by illness.
The crew of Azzam left the port of Sanya on Sunday looking to maintain their record of top-three finishes in the competition so far. But helmsman and trimmer Khalid was missing due to a stomach bug, meaning skipper Ian Walker was forced into an emergency line-up change. This meant a late call-up for ADOR reserve sailor Alex Higby, with the Englishman up until now working as sailmaker for the shore crew.
“It’s a big disappointment not to have Adel on board,” Walker said. “Nobody likes to change a successful combination and Adel is an important part of the crew. He is very sad not to be coming with us but he understands the risk of him getting worse or infecting the rest of us is just too great. Better that he uses the next few weeks to rest up and get himself well so that he can come back strong in Auckland.”
Stepping into an established crew at the last minute is never easy but Walker said he was confident that Higby would be up to the challenge. “We planned for this sort of eventuality — sickness or an injury to one of our under-30 sailors — and Alex did plenty of sailing with us before the race started and the crew knows him very well. I’m sure he will do a great job for us.”
Walker added he is expecting a tough opening section of the leg from Sanya to the Luzon Straight at the top of the Philippines, with strong headwinds and big seas making life uncomfortable on board.
“These new VO65s sail at very extreme angles — especially upwind,” Walker said. “Living down below on Azzam can get pretty unpleasant when she is so heeled over and you are crashing through big waves. Even simple things like making a freeze-dried meal or a hot drink can turn into a real mission and we have to be very careful to avoid picking up any injuries.”
Leg 4 sees the fleet re-cross the equator and potentially have to deal with tropical storm conditions in the southern hemisphere before they reach Auckland — also known as ‘the city of sails’.
Leg 4 is expected to take the fleet about 21 days to complete, with the leader predicted to cross the finish line in Auckland on or around March 1.
