LORIENT, France, June 13 – Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s British skipper Ian Walker (GBR) savoured his triumph in the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race this week after yet another podium spot in Leg 8 to Lorient, France – but his hunger to bring more trophies back to the Emirate is not satisfied yet.
Only a freak batch of penalty points can rob Walker and his team from lifting the handsome silver trophy in Gothenburg at the end of the nine-month, 38,739-nautical mile, offshore marathon on June 27.
They lie eight points clear of their closest rivals, Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking/NED) in the standings, and even a Dutch win and a last place for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the final stage, would only close that gap by six points.
Credit: Volvo Ocean Race
A jubilant, but still tired Walker, reported on Friday that he had spent the previous evening not savouring his triumph deep into the night with his team mates in a Lorient restaurant, but catching up on his sleep.
He had barely slept a wink in the three-and-a-half day leg from Lisbon, Portugal, to Lorient, which finished with a title-clinching third place for his crew just before dawn on Thursday, behind winners Team SCA (Sam Davies/GBR) and Team Vestas Wind (Chris Nicholson/AUS).
Walker also underlined that he still has unfinished business. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are also leading the in-port race series and he would like nothing better than doing the ‘double’ and make his adopted country even prouder.
They are currently leading by four points (see Scoreboard), again with Team Brunel in second place, but in this competition, the podium places are very much still up for grabs.
Six of the seven teams – Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Team Brunel, Team SCA, Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA), MAPFRE (Iker Martínez/ESP) and Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) – still have chances of podium places, with two races of the 10-part series to be decided, here in Lorient and in Gothenburg at the end of June.
The series is also a tiebreaker for the offshore competition and that could be key since teams could still finish up tied after Leg 9.
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