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Volvo Ocean Race Leg 3 start
Start of Leg 3 from Abu Dhabi to Sanya
- Honestly can't wait! Go Puma! Time to make up the lost ground!
- We've been chatting to the skippers this morning ... everyone eager to make a good start in this sprint stage, which is worth 20 percent of the total points for Leg 3.
- Hi Kevin/Justin... eye know... me again... will be out for a while though... how long will leg 3A approx. last ?
- @stefan Hi Stefan - Inshore course is targeted at 40 minutes and then depending on the wind the boats are expected to take 5 - 6 hours to complete the stage. No guarantees in yacht racing however. We will be live for video on the inshore section and the early part of the leg. Then we have regular 15 minute Livestream feeds from the boats each hour.
- looking forward to see you in san ya...good luck...
- Unusually cloudy day here in Abu Dhabi. I spoke to CAMPER navigator Will Oxley a few minutes ago who said the clouds were all part of the arrival of the Shamal wind. He said the weather models were all starting to align now and we should be in for some high speed sailing.
- Hi, you said they will start at 13.50, this is from the breakwater right?
- @fausto 10 minute warning signal at 1350 local (0950 UTC) and yes the start area will be similar to yesterday's Etihad In-Port Race.
- Thanx Justin... I just needed the indication.... I assume tracker will be following the fleet all the way with updates of at least ever 15 min ?
- @stefan That's the plan!
- @Koen Sibbel Just spoke to Kenny and he is in very determined mood this morning. Team debrief yesterday to put yesterday to bed and now he says they are all focused on getting some points on the board in this sprint stage.
- lolll... okay... you can call me stan, the fan who likes the plan...
- @stefan Copy that.
- Off topic: Ist the start of stage 2 already scheduled and is Sanya safe to make it to the start line?
- @Hans All looking good right now for Sanya to arrive in time to start the second stage of Leg 3 with the rest of the fleet. Everyone looking forward to having them back with the fleet on the passage to their home port.
- Departure ceremony being streamed live on Livestream tab of volvooceanrace.com right now! Check it out.
- It's not right that Sanya isn't here! Poor Sanya :(
- Great to hear, we'll have to wait and see, conditions there promising for some close racing like yesterday?
- leg 3 will have 2 stage?
- @Irman Isnain Yes. The risk of piracy in the region means that after the opening sprint stage the boats will be shipped to a secret safe haven location and then race from there to Sanya.
- @Koen Sibbel It is all looking good for more wind than yesterday so fingers crossed.
- Hans: That's what I want to know too. I presume the boat takes them all back from Sharjah to the same safe port in the stealth zone to meet up with Sanya and they all race from there?
- @halcyon Correct!
- @Justin Excellent! Camper is my boat, but I can't help supporting Sanya - poor guys.
- ok..i'll take note on that..thanks for the info..:)
- Assuming/Hoping that they will eventually reveal the name of the safe port after they have left it a 2nd time... even though geographically not a lot of (land)
options are there.... - Stef: I'm sure we can all guess where it is :)
- @halcyon sjjjjjj the pirates are listening.... too bad Sanya thought it was Madagascar...
- PUMA have a fleet of paddle boarder's out for the leaving ceremony - they are going to form up to make the PUMA logo as their boat leaves the dock. Nice stunt by those cunning PUMA marketeers.
- @Stef haha! Don't be cruel. Imagine if they had pulled that move off. They might've taken stage 2 :-/
- @halcyon: I think, they choose an aggessive strategy and the save port is somewhere in Somalia. ;-)
- Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing saying their final official goodbyes before they leave their home port.
- Abu Dhabi leaving the dock now to big cheers from the local crowds.
- Adil Khalid with a big smile on his face waving to the crowds as the boat departs.
Chris Nicholson from CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand
Interview: Ian Walker from Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
- hey guys
- @halcyon u r right, it was the best solution given the circumstances, slightly dramatic from VOR and too much sarcasm from Stan; my alter ego...
- Weather update from race meteorologist Gonzao Infante: "There will be a true Shamal front today. Initially, there will be a low moving east in the Persian Gulf, producing westerly winds. The winds will shift to a n/w direction as a result of the Shamal front, right about the time of the start. The Shamal increases in the afternoon/evening. Predicting 12-15 knots from north west for the start, once the yachts are offshore the wind will be 15-20, possible gusts in excess of 20 knots."
Interview: Pepe Ribes from Team Telefonica in English
- Good Luck Boys.
- CAMPER off dock now to Split Enz 'I see red'
Interview: Iker Martinez from Team Telefonica
- Team Telefonica leaving the dock now...
- All the boats now on their way to the race area. Start time 1400 local (1000 UTC)











