It is a little soon to be asking whether Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ador) is to take part in the next Volvo Ocean Race as it is only a week since Azzam sealed ocean sailing's greatest title.
That Volvo win was built over the nine months of the race and almost another year before that of preparations.
So it is only fair that Ian Walker, Adil Khalid, the rest of Ador and the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA) and Sports Council want to take some time to let the victory sink in before deciding what to do next.
In any case, there is plenty that needs doing to draw a final line under this project.
The TCA will carry out their own presumably wide-ranging review and evaluate what kind of returns they have received from Azzam, the victory and the Abu Dhabi stopover, which attracted 120,000 visitors to the race village last December. An entry in the Volvo is not a small investment.
So a decision on whether Ador will continue and take part in the next Volvo in 2017/18 will not be made quickly. It could take six months and will be made with both head and heart firmly in the right place.
For what it is worth I see this as precisely the kind of moment that needs to be seized upon if the original charter of the project is to be achieved.
In 2009, the TCA was looking for ways to expand on an already established maritime tradition as well as to bump up tourism. A Volvo win, as momentous as it may seem, is only the beginning of that process.
The question Walker posed on Monday while in Abu Dhabi is compelling: once you have won it, what possible driving force remains in a next race?
It was not just a win, either. The comprehensiveness of Azzam's victory is worth recounting: the overall race title, the in-port series, the award for best on-board reporter as well as for the best navigator. A tough task to follow that up, or, outlandishly, better it.
But, as Walker’s long-time business partner and friend, and Ador’s commercial director, Jamie Boag, pointed out, there are different ways of winning.
Azzam was one of two boats in the race that could be said to have had an agenda that went beyond just winning. Alongside Dongfeng Race Team, Ador are seeking to revitalise a national legacy of sailing.
Dongfeng is an instructive example. They had six Chinese sailors in their squad and, on each leg, made sure at least two were part of the crew. A few of them had never sailed before they got involved with the project.
That is what Azzam should be aiming for, to find other Adil Khalids. They found a few in the search that led to Khalid in January 2011.
“There are more Emiratis that we need to target out there,” Boag said. “Adil has done well. But maybe there’s more we could recruit in the next project. Maybe we try to win it in a different way.”
Presumably, with more Emirati sailors.
In a sense, what Azzam has done is put the top of the pyramid in place. Having an Emirati as part of the crew was an achievement but, like Dongfeng, one way forward is to find some more for the next race.
Perhaps Ador does not need to return to the Volvo race, specifically. Maybe there are other avenues for them to travel, other ways in which they can contribute to grass-roots sailing in the country.
“We need to think much more about the legacy here,” Walker said. “We’ve done very well at the top of the pyramid in inspiring people by getting attention. There’s a lot of work at ground level, but maybe we need to help more lower down.”
From the moment the title was won, Walker has maintained that it should only be the beginning. The hard part was winning the race. The hardest part will be to build upon it.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
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Asia%20Cup%202022
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UAE%20SQUAD
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Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
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Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
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Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
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Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm