Abu Dhabi: Nine months of unrelenting, unforgiving sailing and severe sleep deprivation began last Saturday for the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team as they embarked on the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race.
It’s the second time that skipper Ian Walker and his eight-strong crew have tackled what has been widely described as ‘the Mount Everest of sailing’, due to the gruelling schedule involved and the tempestuous weather conditions often encountered.
But Walker and his Emirati helmsman and trimmer, Adil Khalid, seemed far from cowed about the Herculean challenge ahead against six rival teams when Gulf News spoke to them by phone from Alicante, Spain.
They set off from there to Cape Town, South Africa, on the first leg of the race, confident they can better their fifth-place finish in 2011/12 and clinch an historic first victory for a UAE outfit. They were leading the fleet early on Saturday.
Walker, 43, said: “I think our team has all the ingredients necessary to win this race. We don’t know much about our opposition yet, but I expect Brunel [from the Netherlands] and MAPFRE [from Spain] to be very tough to beat.”
The Englishman has two Olympic silver medals to his name, from the 470 class in 1996 and the star class in 2000, but he insists victory in the Volvo event would be his finest achievement.
“It would be very special to share that with such a good team of people and such fantastic supporters in Abu Dhabi,” he added.
Dubai-born Khalid, who took part in the 2008 Olympic Games and was the first Arab to compete in the round-the-world race last time, was similarly optimistic of success. He said: “Yeah, of course it’s possible to win the race. We have a really good team, with guys who have sailed around the world. We finished second in the in-port race in Alicante, so it looks like all our training has paid off. Winning is our goal.”
That said, the pair are acutely aware of the myriad hurdles the 38,739-nautical-mile race will present, with Walker claiming it has no peers in the sporting world in terms of difficulty.
“I think it is the length of the race, the mental and physical challenges, the sleep deprivation, the risk of injury and the non-stop intensity of the racing [which makes it so tough],” the Briton said. “It is hard to find a similar challenge to compare it to.”
He added: “Several sailors have died on this race, but thankfully not in the last two races. Whenever it is very windy and rough, you can get scared, but you have to trust the boat and the guys around you. My biggest concerns have always been in storms in the Southern Ocean, because you are so far from any potential rescue. Sleep is never a problem as you are physically and mentally exhausted.”
Khalid, meanwhile, was even more bullish about the significant task ahead — saying he does not contemplate ‘worst moments’.
The 26-year-old did, however, admit the ‘tough conditions’ on the leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi would be the stiffest test they would face.
Surely exhausted sailors battling to contend with the merciless elements must argue at times? Not so, the pair insisted.
“There are no arguments,” said Khalid. “We are like a family. We share things and we laugh and enjoy the sailing. Our one goal is to win the race.”
Walker added: “Everyone is very professional, so clashes are rare. The enjoyment comes from the sense of achievement and of sharing something special with the other guys. You learn to give people space and everyone is driven by a shared goal.
“We have sailed 19,000 miles in training and we have selected people for their ability to be part of a cohesive team as well as their talent.”
Walker also welcomed the fact that, for the first time, all seven teams in the competition will be racing in one-design, 65-foot monohull racing yachts
He said: “This means the racing will be very close. Nobody will be able to blame their equipment. There is no place to hide.”
The sole Emirati aboard the crew’s yacht, aptly named ‘Azzam’ (determination) as it sums up the pair’s clear indomitability, Khalid has sought to exhibit his pride for his country by flying the UAE flag at the back of the boat.
“The flag is a very important thing,” he said. “It’s all about love for the country. I love my country. I love representing the country and sharing the culture and travelling around the world.
“I want to tell people what the UAE is like, that we have really nice weather, which people can enjoy for nine months of the year. It’s also a very safe country.”
Inspiring other Emiratis to take up his passion is another major motivation for Khalid, who says his Muslim faith also greatly helps him when the going gets tough.
He said a burgeoning sailing community had been cultivated in the UAE, particularly through the team’s liaison with Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club.
“We have great support from the government and Abu Dhabi Sports Council,” Khalid said. “In the future, other people [from the UAE] are going to sail around the world and maybe go to the 2016 Olympic Games. That’s good news for the UAE.”
He is also relishing the heroes’ welcome in store for him and his crewmates when he lands on UAE shores on January 2 for the Abu Dhabi stopover.
Khalid said: “It’s going to be really nice, double or triple the size from the last race.”
Does he have a message for other would-be Emirati sailors?
“If you have a dream or a goal, you have to work for it,” he said. “You are going to reach it one day for sure like I did.”
You can keep up to speed with the team’s progress at www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com or on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/AbuDhabiOceanRacing and @ADORlog.
