Briton on verge of landmark Volvo win in Emirati boat

British skipper Ian Walker set off for the penultimate leg of the nine-month Volvo Ocean Race on Sunday with his sights set on wrapping up the title and establishing two landmarks in the prestigious offshore event.

No British sailor has ever skippered a team to overall victory in an event that was first launched as the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973, when Walker was just 3 years old.

The trophy would also be an enormous achievement for his team, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, which is at the forefront of a sailing boom in the Gulf region.