Volvo Ocean Race - A profile of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing

by Agathe Armand on 12 Sep 2014 Don’t let Volvo Ocean Race crew Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s serious, weathered look mislead you. Forget the branded clothes, and the impeccable team base. Ian Walker and his men are more than just a group of professionals – they are old teammates.

'I've got guys who are very experienced in their own areas and we formulate most things together,' says Ian. 'I'm not just going to tell them, do this, do that.'

After two races, skippering Green Dragon in 2008-09 and Abu Dhabi in 2011-12, the British sailor has changed as a leader. He speaks more openly; he turns to the others for advice. He knows the importance of teamwork; he knows this race requires all of your positive energy just to stay on top of the game.

'Even our debriefs are so much more positive with the right sort of people in the room. We have a very happy bunch.'

'I can tell you now: we’ll have some bad days in this race. We’re going to break some gear, we’re going to take the wrong decisions, and the weather won’t do what is expected.

'The skill is going to be to make sure that we keep our pace and that we pick each other up. And that’s very hard to do.'

Imagine going on a road trip with your mates for nine months, driving across five continents and stopping in 11 cities. It would build some sort of a relationship, right? Well - Ian has already sailed around the world with more than half of his crew.

'I feel a lot more comfortable with the whole situation. The first time I did this race, I had not sailed more than 1,000 miles offshore - I had hardly left the harbour.'

The Abu Dhabi guys are in a good place. They’ve trained at sea for over 18,000 nautical miles (33,000 km) and they smashed the Round Britain and Ireland record last month, finishing first of the Volvo Ocean 65 fleet. They are 'ready to go,' says Justin Slattery, an Irishman gearing up for his fifth race, the third alongside Ian, and looking for his second win.

Justin sailed onboard Green Dragon with Aussie sailor Phil Harmer – it was Ian’s first Volvo team and he was already their skipper. He then sailed with Ian again onboard Abu Dhabi last time around, along with another Brit, Simon Fisher, and Emirati sailor Adil Khalid.

These were tough races, both finishing in fifth position after an arduous and eventful lap around the globe.

'I see this race as suiting Ian more than previous ones,' adds Justin. 'We're going to be on a level playing field and I think we have what it takes. It’s about proving that when we're tested.'

With Kiwi sailor Daryl Wislang, Spaniard Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, Australian under-24 recruit Luke Parkinson and American Onboard Reporter Matt Knighton, that makes seven nationalities onboard, and a total of 20 races. They are the most experienced of all teams.

'It's good to have these different nationalities. Someone like Chuny (Roberto) comes in as the only Spanish person in the team, for instance,' reasons Ian.

'And with his experience as a skipper, he brings up certain things. He runs the boat opposite my watch and I trust him.

'Justin, he has seen it all and he knows that I listen to him. Phil won the last race and I spend a lot of time on deck with him. And someone like Daryl, having sailed with Camper last time, has different ideas too.'

There’s no doubt that Ian is deeply confident in his troops, and having surrounded himself with trusted and talented sailors, so he should be.

But despite the core of this team consisting of a strong group of old friends, he does believe that it’s important to maintain some professional distance on the water.

'Sometimes, I worry that we are too friendly,' he laughs. 'You have to retain a bit of an edge. You can't just be nice to each other all the time; you've got to have some real competitive drive.'

His crews like that though – because a tight group is more likely to overcome the challenges ahead.

'The nice part about our team is that we all get on very well, we enjoy each other's company even off the boat. You can get a good feel for what a team is going to be like off the water as well as on it,' explains Justin.

Ian says the guys’ favourite hobby is to take the mick out of him, but he laughs as he says that so it’s probably fine. They’ve all been cycling and paddle boarding together while training in Cascais, Portugal. They watch movies, play a bit of tennis.

There is something different about Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing this time around, a serene vibe, a relaxed atmosphere.

'I am calmer because I know we prepared well. I feel like we've done everything right. But the problem with this race is that there are 1,000 ways you can lose it - and there is only a couple of ways you can win it.

Ian pauses….'We are where we Volvo Ocean Team website