Volvo Ocean Race: Weird things happen at sea

Imagine drilling holes in the bottom of your own boat or seeing a cow sailing in the middle of the ocean.

These are just some of the weird wonders witnessed by captain Ian Walker and his crew, which were revealed in CNN's Boathouse live chat Friday.

Walker was answering audience questions on board the deck of the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing yacht Azzam, which is on course to win the 12th edition of the tough Volvo Ocean Race.



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'The weirdest thing I have ever done at sea is to tip the boat on its side and drill 32 holes in the bottom!' Walker, a double Olympic silver medalist, explained.

'We were 1500 miles from land in the Southern Ocean at the time and needed to bolt the skins [the outside surface] of the boat back together after it delaminated. We saved the boat and took a week to limp to Chile.'

Irish sailor Justin Slattery, competing in his fifth Volvo Ocean Race, added the strangest thing he has seen at sea was 'a cow floating in the middle of the Atlantic.'

Walker's success on the seas is also a tale of the unexpected.

The 45-year-old learn his craft on a small lake close to the M25 motorway which orbits the UK capital, London.

From humble beginnings, Walker won two Olympic medals and competed in the America's Cup before skippering a crew to the verge of victory in the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race.

'Winning this race is the pinnacle of my sailing career. Not bad for someone whose parents didn't sail and who learned to sail on a little lake called Chipstead Sailing Club just south of London,' said Walker.

The nine-leg sailing competition lasts eight months across 40,000 nautical miles and is so grueling it's been likened to the climbing Mount Everest.

'I think more people climb Everest than sail around Cape Horn each year!' Walker commented.

'If climbing Everest is one of the toughest things to do in the climbing world then it is certainly a parallel. The Volvo Ocean Race is a tough, long race that is very hard to win and easy to lose.'

The Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew, led by Walker, have a virtually unassailable eight-point lead with just one stage to go in this year's edition of the famous ocean race.

For Walker's team to lose the title they would have to finish in last place in the final leg from L'Orient in France to the Swedish port city of Gothenburg and be given two penalty points.

'Knowing that we now had an unassailable lead in the VOR was an incredible feeling,' said Walker.

'So much work goes into these projects and to see it rewarded is so satisfying. We all actually went quite quiet on board as the realization sank in. I am so proud of what we have achieved as a team.'

The final leg of the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race begins on June 16 with the boats due to arrive in Sweden six days later.

The final leg of the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race begins on June 16 with the boats due to arrive in Sweden six days later. The Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew, led by Walker, have a virtually unassailable eight-point lead with just one stage to go in this year's edition of the famous ocean race. 'The weirdest thing I have ever done at sea is to tip the boat on its side and drill 32 holes in the bottom!' Walker, a double Olympic silver medalist, explained. 'If climbing Everest is one of the toughest things to do in the climbing world then it is certainly a parallel. The Volvo Ocean Race is a tough, long race that is very hard to win and easy to lose.' For Walker's team to lose the title they would have to finish in last place in the final leg from L'Orient in France to the Swedish port city of Gothenburg and be given two penalty points. Walker's success on the seas is also a tale of the unexpected. These are just some of the weird wonders witnessed by captain Ian Walker and his crew, which were revealed in CNN's Boathouse live chat Friday. 'The weirdest thing I have ever done at sea is to tip the boat on its side and drill 32 holes in the bottom!' Walker, a double Olympic silver medalist, explained. 'If climbing Everest is one of the toughest things to do in the climbing world then it is certainly a parallel. The Volvo Ocean Race is a tough, long race that is very hard to win and easy to lose.' Imagine drilling holes in the bottom of your own boat or seeing a cow sailing in the middle of the ocean. 'The weirdest thing I have ever done at sea is to tip the boat on its side and drill 32 holes in the bottom!' Walker, a double Olympic silver medalist, explained.

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