ABU DHABI OCEAN RACING COMPLETE FIRST EVER VOLVO OCEAN RACE CLEAN SWEEP AFTER WINNING IN-PORT RACE SERIES IN SWEDEN

AZZAM ADDS ‘SHORT-COURSE’ SERIES VICTORY TO OVERALL RACE TROPHY AND IWC 24-HOUR SPEED TROPHY  

SWEDISH FOOTBALL STAR FREDDIE LJUNGBERG ONBOARD FOR RECORD-BREAKING RESULT

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (ADOR) – the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) Champions – made it a triple triumph on Saturday, after adding the In-Port Race Series (IPRS) title to its overall title and IWC Schaffhausen 24-hour Speed Record Challenge trophy with a sixth place in the Swedish heat of the short course competition in Gothenburg.

The result sees the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi)-backed team top the final IPRS standings by a margin of one point, adding the ‘sprint series’ accolade to the overall Race trophy the team won earlier in the week.

And on board for the triumph, Swedish football superstar Freddie Ljungberg had a front-row seat for all the action, sailing with ADOR for the one-hour race, which the Abu Dhabi team began with a six-point advantage.

The narrow course on Gothenburg’s Göta älv waterway saw super-light winds, and despite only needing a sixth place finish or better to take the IPRS title, ADOR skipper Ian Walker and his crew only fought their way out of last place on the penultimate leg to close out the ten-race series by a point.

“It was far closer than we wanted it to be today,” said Walker, who was competing against his old sailing friend in the form of the ex-King of Spain, HM Juan Carlos I, who joined the MAPFRE team for the IPR race. “But to pull off a clean sweep of the overall, 24-hour record and now the In-Port Series is extremely satisfying.”

And Sultan al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director of TCA Abu Dhabi, who travelled to Gothenburg to watch the conclusion of this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, was delighted with the result.

"I am very happy to have been here to witness Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing win the In Port Race, which secured an unprecedented haul of trophies for our team,” said Al Dhaheri. “The team has proudly represented our country as we competed against the best sailors in the world, and we have strengthened our position as a sailing nation in front of a global audience. I hope all the ADOR fans here, back in Abu Dhabi, as an official destination partner, and around the world join me in congratulating all the members of our victorious team."

UAE sailor Adil Khalid – the first Arab sailor to win the Volvo Ocean Race – agreed adding the In-Port Race Series to the ADOR trophy haul was the perfect way to end nine-months of competitive action.

“Winning the In-Port Race Series puts the cherry on top of the cake,” Khalid said. “Becoming the first team to pull off this ‘clean sweep’ is a marvelous achievement for the UAE.”   

With winds that never topped five knots throughout the one-hour heat and strong current, there was lots of place-changing on the first leg which saw Azzam dumped from third to seventh place at the first turning marker.

Walker and his men stayed focused however and on the last but one leg of the shortened course they eased into sixth place – a position they held on comfortably to the finish line.  

And Ljungberg, who captained Sweden and won 75 international caps, and who was part of ‘The Invincibles’ Arsenal side that went 49 games unbeaten in the 2003/04 season, was thrilled with the experience.

“Watching the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in action was utterly intense!” he said. “They work in perfect harmony and the closeness of the racing was enormous fun. It was great to be onboard with the lads as they claimed another trophy – and I know how they must be feeling after that big win!”

ADOR earned the IWC Schaffhausen 24-hour Speed Record Challenge title with an unsurpassed run of 550.82 nautical miles approaching Cape Horn on Leg 5 from New Zealand to Brazil.

ADOR will receive all three trophies and be officially crowned Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 champions on Saturday at the Life At The Extreme Awards gala prize giving ceremony in Gothenburg.

ABOUT ABU DHABI TOURISM & CULTURE AUTHORITY

Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The authority manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies, plans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. TCA Abu Dhabi supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate’s heritage. A key authority role is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base.

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•     The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race will be the 12th running of the 40-year-old event, which started in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race.

•     The race started on October 4, 2014, day of the first In-Port Race in Alicante, Spain, and finish with one last In-Port Race on June 27, 2015 in Gothenburg, the Swedish home of Volvo.

•     The 38,739-nautical mile route will also include stopovers in Cape Town (South Africa), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajaí (Brazil), Newport, Rhode Island (USA), Lisbon (Portugal) and Lorient (France). A 24-hour pit-stop in The Hague is scheduled between France and Sweden.

•     The next two editions will be contested in a new high-performance boat, the Volvo Ocean 65, designed by Farr Yacht Design in the United States and built by a consortium of boatyards in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Switzerland.

•     The new 65-foot (19.8-metre) monohull racing yachts will be strictly One Design and delivered “ready to sail” for the next two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race. The boats incorporate the latest video, satellite and content production facilities to further enhance the Onboard Reporter programme that has been in place since 2008-09.

• Seven teams are taking part. The all-female Team SCA is the first all-women's team to compete in the race since 2001-02. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is once again skippered Britain's twice Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker. Dongfeng Race Team come from China and is backed by Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle. Team Brunel from the Netherlands is skippered by race veteran Bouwe Bekking. Team Alvimedica, the youth challenge will be led by All American Ocean Racing and carry a double Turkey/USA flag. A Spanish entry, MAPFRE is also taking part, skippered by Iker Martinez but Team Vestas Wind, who started the race in Alicante, ran aground on Leg 2, and is yet to rejoin the race. 
• The previous Volvo Ocean Race started in October 2011 in Alicante and was won by Groupama sailing team, skippered by Frenchman Franck Cammas, in July 2012.