Sunday cover: Azzam out in front as Volvo Ocean Race leaves Abu Dhabi

The National's Sport cover for the Sunday, January 4 issue, featuring Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's Azzam starting out Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race in the lead.

The National's Sport cover for the Sunday, January 4 cover, featuring Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's Azzam starting out Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race in front.

Reporting from the Abu Dhabi port departure, Osman Samiuddin writes as the race ships off to Sanya, China for the third leg:

“If every leg of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), at some level, represents a step into the unknown, the start of the third leg from Abu Dhabi to Sanya, China, yesterday was a journey into the ­unseen.

“So thick and heavy was the fog that descended on Abu Dhabi in the morning that visibility was drastically reduced as the third leg began.

“Ian Walker clearly knew something though ... By the time Azzam was rounding the second marker, they were already more than 200 metres ahead of the chasing pack.”

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