'Powerful and raw' Abu Dhabi yacht sets sail for Volvo venture
The sleek, black, 14-ton yacht carried the "Abu Dhabi" script logo on its hull along with a falcon, the UAE's national emblem.
Jamie Boag, the team director, took the microphone at the waterside and extolled the nine months of "engineering, phone calls, e-mails, blood, sweat, tears, happy moments, difficult moments" that culminated in the unveiling in the Italian Riviera.
In less than four months' time, a crew of 11 will begin to sail Azzam around the world in the 39,000-nautical-mile Volvo Ocean Race.
"Unique," said the Australian bowman Wade Morgan, who first saw the yacht several months ago before it even had its deck on.
"Powerful and raw," said the Englishman and double-Olympic medal-winning skipper Ian Walker, who saw Azzam through every stage of evolution.
The yacht took more than 49,000 man hours to construct. Walker added that it "just looks fast. Kind of powerful. It's quite an unusual shape".
Adil Khalid, the 22-year-old sailor chosen from more than 120 Emiratis, said: "My dream. And it should be number one. We need to be first. To win this event. It's a dream.".
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