Sailing fans can get up-close and personal with Volvo Ocean Race history during the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show (ADYS), with personal tours of the record-breaking training yacht used by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing being held at the three-day event.
The Abu Dhabi team used the former ABN AMRO TWO - which set the 24 hour distance record in the 2005/2006 Volvo Ocean Race, known as the ‘Everest of Sailing’ - throughout the winter in the UAE capital in its preparation for the gruelling, 39,000 nautical mile round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race beginning in Spain this October.
Since arriving in the emirate, the veteran yacht has also played host to a wealth of world-class athletes including golf stars, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer, as well as Sir Steve Redgrave, the five-time British gold medal winning Olympian rower.
And with the 11-strong Abu Dhabi outfit – which includes UAE national and Olympian, Adil Khalid, amongst its ranks - set to move to Europe for the summer to train on its new, state-of-the-art Volvo Open 70 being built in Northern Italy, race fans will have a final chance to see the inner workings of the historic race yacht and try out the testing conditions the sailors endure out at sea at ADYS.
Running 24-26th March at the stunning Yas Marina, ADYS will be co-located and jointly promoted with the season opener of the FIA GT1 World Championship 2011 – one of the motor racing calendar’s most glamorous events.
Abu Dhabi’s new Volvo Open 70 racing yacht has been designed by the USA’s Farr Design and is currently being built by PERSICO S.p.A. in Italy.
The 2011/2012 Volvo Ocean Race will start in Alicante, Spain next October and end in Galway, Ireland, in summer 2012. Abu Dhabi will welcome teams from January 1-14th 2012 after they complete a gruelling leg from Cape Town. The Volvo Open 70 racing yacht is sailed by professional athletes, who race around the world with the prevailing winds.
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing yacht tours are running everyday of ADYS on the hour, every hour (3-9pm). Sign-up is on-site with the crew team at the Yas Marina on a first-come, first-serve basis.