Abu Dhabi: Azzam’s success at the famed Volvo Ocean Race is a huge shot in the arm for the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Cultural Authority (TCA).
The triumph has not only given brand Abu Dhabi worldwide recognition but has done a world of good to the sport of sailing, as a whole, in the region. They have also managed to get an Arab face in Adil Khalid and with that, an icon to look forward to, for future generation of sailors.
However, success comes at a cost and TCA is in no mood to rush an announcement about their future course of action. A thorough evaluation and feasibility of the project will be done and only then a decision will be made, said Faisal Al Shaikh, Director of Events Bureau for TCA, in an interview with Gulf News. Excerpts:
How do you rate this success of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing?
We have created a legacy, basically, in Abu Dhabi’s maritime scene. It is a huge achievement. It was very difficult as we were competing against some of the top sailors of the world and so the trophy means a lot for us. It was a race of taming the ocean and had its own challenges. There are too many aspects and I would say that our strategy paid rich dividend as we managed some crucial points at the beginning of the race and it proved vital at the end.
Despite such a big triumph, the celebration in the capital was quite muted. Has TCA missed out on an opportunity to cash in on the success?
It was only because it is the holy month of Ramadan but the response from everyone was tremendous. We have got good coverage about our success all over the media and I’m sure through that, we have reached out to everyone. You should also understand that the sailors are tired after the gruelling season and they were longing to get back to their families. I think we created the story, shared the story and the celebration came in the form of congratulatory messages from everyone in the government and our other partners.
What was the most challenging part for you and your team to make this dream a reality?
This time it was about one boat design for all teams but we still had to pick the best crew and that was a challenge. The selection process had to be precise and we believe in our skipper Ian Walker. We provided the best support staff for the team and treated them really well so that they could recover well after every leg. The physical fitness programme was very intense this year and they had a good four months of training in Lisbon before the start of the season which paid off.
Do you think the win would change the way the sport is looked at in this part of the world?
Once we started hosting Volvo Ocean Race leg, we started seeing the change straight away. They were a lot of sailing clubs that came up and sailing enthusiasts who came forward. We started a lot of grassroot programmes and competitions. Our credentials have improved and so has the sport here. After this win, the sport will certainly see a huge change. Nothing serves like success.
How do you assess Adil Khalid’s progress and the role played by him?
Adil Khalid has proved that he is the right candidate for the mission. He has been outstanding, navigated around the globe twice and has done more than 70,000 nautical miles. He is now ready for any offshore competition and that will give them a good chance for the Olympics qualification, other regional and competition across the continents. His preparation for the Olympics is solely with the Olympic committee but he will have all the support needed from our side.
There is a lot of speculation about ADOR’s participation for next season of Volvo Ocean Race. Any particular reason for that?
We see the race and our participation as a commitment and so we have to decide again on how we would do it and if yes, then the best possible way. We have to prepare a report in this regard - don’t forget that we have spent five years to achieve this success. We need not decide about it tomorrow as the race is in 2017-18 and the boat is one design. We have time and Inshallah, we will inform all our partners about our future plans in the course of time. In six months, we will be able to give you a clear picture.
