Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing sets new Volvo Ocean Race IWC speed record

Sport360 staff 16:07 01/04/2015
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  • ADOR and Azzam raced 550.82 nautical miles in 24 hours on Leg 5, a new record.

    Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (ADOR), the emirate’s entry in the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), has set a new IWC Speed Record for the current edition of the round-the-world challenge, racing 550.82 nautical miles in 24 hours as it approached Cape Horn on the fifth leg from New Zealand to Brazil.

    The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi)-backed team secured the speed record as it approached Cape Horn in the Southern Ocean while vying for the Leg 5 lead with Turkish / American entry Team Alvimedica.

    Having passed ‘The Horn’ on 30th March 2015, Abu Dhabi’s yacht Azzam – meaning Determination in Arabic – has now used the speed-record platform to full effect by taking the Leg 5 lead in the Southern Atlantic.

    ADOR skipper, double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker, said the conditions had been perfect for a record attempt and that the crew had pushed 100% to catch Alvimedica and set a new record in the process.

    “It was some of the most exhilarating sailing I’ve ever done,” he said.

    “I haven’t had as much fun at the wheel for a long time. We had 30 knots of wind, our fastest sail configuration and a relatively small but long rolling sea state – just perfect for maximizing these new race yachts.”

    Walker and his navigator Simon Fisher took Azzam on a more southerly heading on approach to Cape Horn  and the gambit paid off as they powered their way up to second before securing the  leg lead just after the Horn.

    Fisher said the record run had required sailing Azzam constantly on the knife-edge of control to stay in the strongest winds.

    Daryl Wislang, Justin Slattery, and Ian Walker charge through the Southern Ocean as ADOR breaks a 24-hour speed record.

    “These new-generation VO65s sail fastest when you push them to the absolute limit.

    “It was imperative we stayed ahead of the weather front that was generating the big breeze.

    “To do that we knew we needed an incident-free final night before the Horn rounding. That meant three consecutive incident-free watches with no wipeouts or breakages – not easy when most of it was in the dark.”

    With conditions moderating after the Horn, Walker did not expect the new record time to be bettered on this leg.

    “Conditions before the Horn were ideal,” he said.

    “Now we have turned north and have 2,000 miles of tough sailing to do before the Leg 5 finish in Itajaí. You never know in ocean sailing but I don’t expect the new IWC speed record to be threatened.”

    ADOR is expected to cross the Leg 5 finish line in Itajaí on April 6 and fans can follow the team’s progress via the race tracker at volvooceanrace.com.

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