Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is determined to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in the Abu Dhabi-to-Sanya 4,600 nautical mile sprint in Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race to New Zealand in a fortnight's time.
Having arrived in the southernmost city of the People's Republic under the cover of darkness on Saturday, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing – which finished eight hours behind eventual leg winners, Team Telefonica – has already begun work on Azzam, as it looks to ebb out extra speed for the 5,220 nautical mile leg to Auckland – widely regarded as the most challenging in the round-the-world sailing odyssey.
"We were happy with the way we sailed; it was a tough leg mentally and physically. If you look at it, there was only one or two per cent separating the top five yachts. We now need to find that extra bit in Azzam," said Ian Walker, the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing skipper.
With little historical data to call on, Walker believes Leg 4 from Sanya to 'The City of Sails' is the most difficult tactically of the entire race. Amongst many other challenges, the fleet will yet again have to negotiate the Doldrums – this time at their widest point on the planet.
"There is a lot we need to prepare for in the next leg. The opener is a long fast reaching course past the northern tip of The Philippines and then south towards Auckland which will be tough, as conditions on the open sea at this time of the year can be very unpredictable. We need to get it right tactically and be sure of our sail selection, as destroying a sail very early on is a very real possibility," added the double Olympic medallist.
"The second half of the leg will be the great leveller; we can choose to go with the traditional routes where we usually have stronger winds or take the direct route south west. Either way we need to make a decision early on and have strength of our conviction. Play it wrong, you could see massive losses. Get it right, and you'll be in the mix to win for sure."
And Craig Satterthwaite, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's Kiwi watch-captain, who is no stranger to the next leg's conditions and potential pitfalls, knows that sticking to the game plan will be key to success.
"To me it doesn't matter whether you're at the front or back you still sail the same and do the same manoeuvres and same jobs and keep the same intensity. Whether it's the good times or bad times you have to keep going," said the Auckland native, who was part of the victorious 2007 America's Cup Alinghi team.
"This is not a one-day race it takes a long time so you can't give up, you have to keep going. We know what to expect and have the right people onboard to navigate us through the challenges."
Before the Leg 4 start on February 19, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing – which currently lies fifth in the overall standings behind Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg – will be looking to continue its impressive in-port racing form in Sanya, having won two out of the three previous events including the Abu Dhabi showpiece in front of tens of thousands of home supporters.
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The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
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PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
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Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
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Our legal consultants
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
SPECS
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Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
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Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
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● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
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● No of employees: Nine
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Full Party in the Park line-up
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8pm – Richard Ashcroft
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10pm – Fatboy Slim
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
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