With perhaps not too much more than a couple days until boats can be expected to start arriving in port in Abu Dhabi for the completion of the Volvo Ocean Race's second leg, Azzam is furiously trying to close a small gap between the two frontrunners.
About a week ago, locked in a tight battle with Donfgeng Race Team and Team Brunel, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing skipper Ian Walker made a tactical decision to diverge from their competitors.
Matt Knighton, the ADOR onboard reporter, wrote at that time on the team blog:
“That transition is the next question mark in the routing; a “secondary Doldrums” between the Northeast Monsoon and the Westerly Trade Winds that potentially could shake up the leaderboard. For the first time in the race, Ian is surprisingly satisfied not being able to see the other two boats – we’re not sure if it’s confidence or the bliss of not knowing,”
Said Walker: “I dunno, I’ve been thinking about that a lot. Part of me thinks you don’t sail the boat properly because you react to what other people are doing. At the moment I’m quite enjoying the freedom of being just close enough to be in touch but far enough away that we don’t obsess about what they do.”
The move away from the other boats seemed like it backfired early on.
“Over the last three scheds we have bled mileage to the surprisingly stronger winded boats now seventy miles to windward; surprisingly because it’s been the exact opposite of the forecast,” wrote Knighton about Saturday’s progress.
About 24 hours later, the afternoon (evening in the UAE) positions report on Sunday showed ADOR flagging, from a lead 24 hours before to six nautical miles off the lead pace of Brunel.
“It’s been a battle all day; seemingly bleeding miles to the two teams to windward,” wrote Knighton.
“C’mon wind...” he quoted Walker saying.
Knighton summarised what ADOR needed:
“We need a lift – a shift in the wind rotating to the right – to help us gain speed and have a chance at beating Brunel and Dongfeng to the next mark on the course.”
Another 24 hours passed, and it was clear Azzam wasn't getting one – they'd fallen fast, to 34 miles behind Brunel, with Dongfeng 23 miles ahead in second.
“We’re past rationalising our decision to split from them; their gamble towards the east simply paid out more,” wrote Knighton.
But, he noted: “The good news: they’re only 30nm ahead.”
It got worse before it got better, with Azzam reaching a nadir of 44.4nm behind by later Tuesday.
And then, finally, a breakthrough. By Wednesday afternoon Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing had made up almost half that distance, sitting 24.7nm beind, and in the latest report at 6.40am UTC (10.40am UAE) on Thursday, they had inched a little closer – 21.2nm behind Brunel, who maintain just a 3.6nm lead on Dongfeng.
It still may prove too much, with only 340 miles separating Brunel from Abu Dhabi shores and little in the way of the kind of disparate conditions that could give Azzam a big boost.
Still, the hope is there again, and Knighton describes an excitement building in Emirati sailor Adil Khalid ahead of his imminent homecoming:
“Adil has been bouncing around the boat for the past 24 hours – a trend that surely will increase as we keep ticking off the miles to Abu Dhabi.
“His heart beats for the UAE and one can be sure his proudest moment is only days away: flying the Emirati flag in front of thousands of his fellow countrymen.”
Says Khalid himself: “Last time was a great experience for me to be the first Arab to sail the Volvo Ocean Race. At the end of the day I’m doing it for all the people in Abu Dhabi.”
Meanwhile, aboard Brunel, onboard reporter Stefan Coppers relays the mood of a buoyant skipper Bouwe Bekking:
“How many Legs have I won in the Volvo Ocean Race? I would say about eight? I’m not sure. I’d have to count again. But not enough however!” says Bouwe Bekking, laughing while he surfs his Brunel smoothly across the waves.
“High time we add another one to the list.”
And Yann Riou, aboard Dongfeng, highlights what can be expected from the next 48 or so hours:
“For sure we’d prefer to be going into it with a 15 mile lead, rather than a 15 mile deficit, but we are sure that everything remains possible – including being passed by Abu Dhabi by the way.
“This final part of the leg is going to be exciting.”
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The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
UJDA CHAMAN
Produced: Panorama Studios International
Directed: Abhishek Pathak
Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Rating: 3.5 /5 stars
Company%20Profile
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The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
