Abu Dhabi new boat for Volvo Ocean Race

from the hidden camera : a view of the new Sailing Boat Type Volvo Open 70 for the Team Abu Dhabi .
Apparently the hull build is finished and now it is looking for some water or maybe first will visit a shop to get some extra, like mast, deck, keel, rudder, sails etc to make it a real Sailing boat. :)

AND...................

If you look from the other side it even looks a Sailing boat already a little! 

That is  a long boat, it even spills over the post width 

HURRAY --- FINISHED VORG BetaII

Welcomed by traditional Abu Dhabi sailing dhows, I could Finish the VolvoOceanRaceGame Beta II this morning.  

The winds stay calm but with almost reaching 10 kts it was sufficient for a smooth sailing end to this reverse Abu Dhabi - Sanya leg of the coming Volvo Ocean Race. 


I finished in 285th place, after a successful end-sprint that won me 38 places in the last day !
Had it not been for the disaster with the still not understood Crew energy losses in one of the first WP schedule nights, I could have done better. But this is a good training for if the real races will start. 


Abu Dhabi is preparing itself well, for the arrival of the VOR fleet by end of the year, early next year as you can see on this picture.

This Beta II race was an interesting one, notwithstanding the frustrations of the Crew Energy but lets hope that  VOR can improve that in next races, as there are enough complaints raised on this.  


Upto the next Beta trials. 

Cleared the Strait of Hormuz

It some time that I updated but first my internet knocked off for about 48 hrs and then there was not too much to report on the Indian Ocean. 


Coming into the Gulf of Oman things got interesting again. First passing the SE point of the Arabian Peninsula is the Turtle beach of Rass Al Hadd. 

. These are endangered species, so please treat them kindly, better leave them alone. 


The winds got variable in the Gulf of Oman and some sail changes and heading adjustments got the energy out of the crew. This resulted in reduced boat speed and how unnatural for a racing sailor to continue with a less optimal sail just to prevent further boat speed reductions. :(


Now passed the Strait of Hormuz and trying to sail head wind towards the Finish in Abu Dhabi. 


Rank: 323