briton walker guides abu dhabi boat towards ocean race triumph
Last Updated : GMT 09:03:51
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
Last Updated : GMT 09:03:51
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today

Briton Walker guides Abu Dhabi boat towards Ocean Race triumph

Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today

Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Briton Walker guides Abu Dhabi boat towards Ocean Race triumph

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Lorient - Arab Today

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing all but closed out the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race on Thursday when their third place into Lorient on leg eight left them with an eight-point advantage over their nearest rivals.

Only a serious breach of sailing rules in the final leg incurring a multiple point penalty –- even if they finish last –- can now prevent the Emirati crew from lifting the trophy at the race's final port of Gothenburg in the last week of June.

Their British skipper Ian Walker is a twice-Olympic silver medallist who narrowly missed out on Star class gold in the final race of the 2004 Athens Games.

He has led his team brilliantly since setting out in early October last year for a race that covers 38,739 nautical miles and visits 11 ports plus every continent.

His pre-race game plan was simply to finish in a top-three podium finish in each of the nine legs of the race and, with the exception of the seventh when they were fifth, he has carried out that strategy to perfection.
After crossing the line just before dawn in Lorient in Brittany, Walker told reporters that his achievement in fulfilling a lifelong ambition was taking time to sink in.

No British skipper has won the overall trophy in the 41-year history of an event that was first launched as the Whitbread Round the World Race in Portsmouth, England.

"When we passed the finish line we all went quiet and asked ourselves 'is that it?'," said a still dazed Walker.

"But I can't thank our team enough. We made a plan one and a half years ago and we just carried out that plan."

He could not resist a thought of the reaction 'back home' in Abu Dhabi. "I bet they're going nuts," he said. "We couldn't have done it without their backing."
Earlier, skipper Sam Davies and Team SCA struck a blow for women's offshore sailing with the comfortable eighth-leg victory.

The win was a first for a female crew in the event, formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, since Tracy Edwards' Maiden clinched two stage wins in Class D of the 1989-90 edition, won overall by Sir Peter Blake's famous Steinlager2.

At least as satisfying for the first all-women's crew to enter the race in 12 years will be the opportunity to silence critics who suggested that they were looking outclassed in the current 12th edition by their experienced male rivals.

The Swedish entry has failed to win a podium place until now, but the crew has clearly improved leg after leg and many observers felt that a breakthrough performance was just around the corner.
Behind them, another dream finish was realised as Team Vestas Wind closed to second place in their return to the race after six months out for a boat rebuild following a collision with an Indian Ocean reef on November 29 during leg two.

The boats will now have a short maintenance period before Sunday's in-port race in Lorient. The fleet will then set sail for Gothenburg, via a pit-stop in The Hague, on Tuesday, June 16.

The race concludes in Gothenburg on June 27, having covered 38,739nm and visited 11 ports and every continent.

Latest standings (after 8 of 9 legs, lowest points wins, in-port series breaks tie-breaks): 1) Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 19 pts, 2) Team Brunel (Netherlands) 27, 3) Dongfeng Race Team (China) 29, 4) MAPFRE (Spain) 31, 5) Team Alvimedica (Turkey/U.S.) 33, 6) Team SCA (Sweden) 44, 7) Team Vestas Wind (Denmark) 54.
Source: AFP

 

almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

briton walker guides abu dhabi boat towards ocean race triumph briton walker guides abu dhabi boat towards ocean race triumph

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

briton walker guides abu dhabi boat towards ocean race triumph briton walker guides abu dhabi boat towards ocean race triumph

 



Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017

GMT 09:22 2018 Monday ,22 January

Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way

GMT 11:03 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Modern colorful bedroom renovation

GMT 10:57 2017 Thursday ,21 December

Modern colorful bedroom renovation
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Puigdemont candidate for Catalan president

GMT 13:56 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Puigdemont candidate for Catalan president
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Turkey detains dozens more

GMT 10:47 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Turkey detains dozens more

GMT 15:09 2014 Thursday ,10 July

Architecture tale of old and new

GMT 18:44 2017 Thursday ,21 December

South Sudan warring parties agree ceasefire: AU chair

GMT 18:38 2012 Sunday ,05 February

Deadline hours away for Greek

GMT 13:07 2014 Tuesday ,25 March

Alfa Romeo returns to US

GMT 17:47 2014 Tuesday ,19 August

How children's brains memorise math facts

GMT 18:37 2015 Thursday ,02 July

As nations dither, cities pick up climate slack

GMT 06:54 2013 Sunday ,21 July

Bombs strike favoured Ramadan hangouts in Iraq

GMT 16:03 2016 Friday ,04 November

Arsenal-Spurs feud divides families in north London

GMT 05:15 2012 Tuesday ,27 November

DNA sleuth hunts wine roots in Anatolia

GMT 09:54 2011 Thursday ,21 July

Gold prices near $1602 in Asia

GMT 02:47 2016 Sunday ,18 December

Bahrain condemns central Turkey blast

GMT 07:16 2015 Thursday ,16 July

Teenage births at lowest level in 70 years

GMT 06:31 2012 Tuesday ,21 February

Frozen plants back to life

GMT 11:10 2017 Saturday ,28 January

IMF concerned over Afghanistan refugee influx

GMT 07:41 2017 Monday ,23 January

Iraq forces take two more areas in east Mosul
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
 
 Almaghrib Today Facebook,almaghrib today facebook  Almaghrib Today Twitter,almaghrib today twitter Almaghrib Today Rss,almaghrib today rss  Almaghrib Today Youtube,almaghrib today youtube  Almaghrib Today Youtube,almaghrib today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

.almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday almaghribtoday almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
almaghribtoday, Almaghribtoday, Almaghribtoday