2 posts tagged VOR

It seems like yesterday we were wishing the crew of the Azzam ‘bon voyage’ as they left Alicante, Spain to begin the 2011/2012 Volvo Ocean Race. For Skipper Ian Walker and his crew, the almost nine months at sea has been filled with incredible experiences – many of which we have shared with you here.

Last week you read about life on board Azzam just one aspect of the physical and emotional challenges team Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing faced every day. As the boat left the French coastal city of Lorient last week, she embarked on the ninth and final leg of this year’s VOR… and her arrival this week into Galway, Ireland.

The Azzam rounding a lighthouse en route to Galway

For one person on board Azzam the Irish coast is familiar territory – Adil Khalid, the VOR’s first Gulf participant, used Galway as his training ground before the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

Adil Khalid on board Azzam during Leg 9 

“The Irish are always so warm, hospitable and welcoming; in many ways it reminds me of Abu Dhabi. I have very fond memories of Galway…”, Khalid shared. Given the relatively short course length, 485 nautical miles, Khalid and his team did not have long to go before seeing the shores of the Emerald Isle.

Highlights of Leg 9’s start

However, as with each leg in the race this one is still fraught with challenges from both the surrounding terrain and uncertain weather patterns in the area. Keeping these potential adversities in mind, team ADOR was angling for a position on the podium for their performance in the leg, a goal Khalid acknowledged: “…getting away from the fleet in the early stages will be key to our podium chances.”

Azzam braving stormy conditions from Lorient to Galway

As he finishes up his first VOR Khalid also has his eyes on another podium, hoping for a wildcard berth to compete in this summer’s London Olympic Games. Relaying what is a universal truth for all competitive athletes, Khalid relayed: “the Olympics are the ultimate dream for anyone participating in sport.”

But first things first, Khalid and his teammates will continue to enjoy a large celebration in Galway, hosted und the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, the official sponsor of Azzam and her crew. It will be a fitting finish to the round-the-world 39,000 mile race and acknowledgment of all thhKey have accomplished. For Adil Khalid the race has provided a new growth and maturity: “I really feel like an old soul now.”

Khalid and the rest of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing celebrate in Galway

We happily greet Azzam and her tireless crew in Galway and congratulating them on a race well sailed.

The Volvo Ocean Race entrants have left Lisbon on their way to the French city of Lorient. At 1,940 nautical miles it is one of the shorter legs of the race, but with areas of potential light winds that could hamper progress. These types of conditions are just one of many that the boats have to undertake during each leg, and for which the craft’s designers and builders must account.

Some of the conditions the Azzam must be built to face

For Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Azzam, design team Farr Yacht Design was given the task of creating a vessel that could withstand the pummel of Southern Ocean waves and wind, to the doldrums across the Equator, and everything in between. The design team must adhere to strict guidelines issued by Volvo Ocean Race: macro considerations like boat dimensions and hull thickness, to the more detailed rules on bunk size for the crew. None of these considerations can be taken lightly – both the craft and crew must withstand harrowing and tiring conditions during the nine months of the Race. This was seen acutely when the Azzam experienced hull damage during Leg 5. This damage was mitigated by at-sea repairs – made possible by ingenuity in the boat’s design.

One of the many steps in getting Azzam built

Once the design for Azzam was complete it was handed off to the ship’s builders, in this case at the Persico boatyard in Nembro, Italy. Here the build team constructed the mould, focusing on any measure that could save overall weight. 

The on-shore build team for Azzam

Teamwork between the designers and builders is also crucial to the success of the finished product. To that end Persico collaborated with the Farr design team on ways to modify the construction to improve performance and function of the boat. One way they achieved this was by using a Kevlar honeycomb on the foredeck, which sheds water and keeps the deck safer and without additional weight.

She’s getting there… Azzam at the Persico boatyard

In the end the Farr Yacht Design team dedicated over 26,000 hours in the planning, calculating, and engineering of Azzam. That innovation combined with the exacting precision shown by the Persico build team are traits we value highly at IWC. Always searching to improve, and always ensuring we are creating the very best.

The striking colors that will be slicing through the ocean

A salute to both teams and to the crew who have stewarded Azzam around the globe and kept her going strong.