Alicante, Spain, 28 Oct. 2011 (WAM): Abu Dhabi Ocean Racings UAE star, Adil Khalid, says hes "nervous but ready" as he Saturday becomes the first Gulf national to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race - the gruelling, 39,000 nautical mile, round-the-world Everest of Sailing.

Since beating off more than 120 hopefuls for his spot on the 11-man Abu Dhabi crew in January, Khalid has been training daily across four continents to prepare for a race that spans nine months, five continents and some of the worlds most challenging oceans.

And with the first points scoring competition of the race ahead of him this afternoon in the historic Spanish port city of Alicante, the 22-year-old Olympian the youngest member of the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing - believes the team and its state-of-the-art Volvo Open 70 racing yacht, Azzam, will bethe ones to watch.

"I almost dont recognise the person I was when I set out on this adventure 10 months ago. Ive changed as an individual, as a sportsman and as a team member. Today is the start of something amazing, my dream, to become the first Arab to compete in this ultimate race. To sail in Azzam, which mean determination, is very apt it sums up the entire teams attitude to bring home a podium place," said Khalid, who represented the UAE when sailing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

"I am excited to be where I am today, and feel ready, but at the same time the nerves are starting to kick in as I truly realise the task ahead of me. Its pretty humbling to be staring into the unknown. There is a really good team spirit onboard and we know we have speed, so we will be competitive."Khalid and the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew, the most intercontinental ever assembled in the 38 years of Volvo Ocean Race history, start their 2011-12 campaign with the action-packed in-port race a short, course-based event in which tactics and lightening quick reactions are vital.

With six competing teams vying to get their race off to a winning start, Khalid said competition is going to be fierce. Running for only 60 minutes, teams will out-jockey each other for a perfect start.

"The in-port race can be the toughest, most demanding part of the race because it is so short and intense. It is nothing like being offshore for weeks on end; just one mistake can be costly, especially if you start badly.

You are working at full speed continuously and cant afford any lapse in judgement," said Khalid.

"We have an amazing team and weve been practising hard for this. We will be nervous as this is the first official event of the Volvo Ocean Race and no one wants to make any mistakes. This is it, everything we have worked for, trained for, and lived for, starts now."After competing in the in-port race, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing which is skippered by Great Britains double Olympic medallist Ian Walker will complete final preparations before the 6,500 nautical mile first race leg to Cape Town, South Africa on November 5.

Having only spent only eight days continuously offshore during his training, Khalid has been working hard preparing to cope with the rigours of racing offshore, 24 hours a day, and pacing himself to last the expected 20 days it will take to reach the southern tip of Africa.

"Ive done all that I can do to prepare but you never know how you will cope at sea for that long until you do it. Im confident because I have a strong team with me, and I am committed completely. Managing food and sleep is critical and Ive been working on that. Crossing the equator and rounding Cape Horn is the stuff of legends; I wouldnt miss it for the world," added Khalid.

The Volvo Ocean Race is the worlds longest professional sporting event.

Sailing the fastest monohull race yachts ever built, the six teams start in Alicante and end in Galway, Ireland next summer. The race will make history this New Year when it comes to Abu Dhabi its first stop-over in Arabia.

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which is behind the fortnight-long hosting of the race in the UAE capital, and is the Team Principal of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, is committed to making its stopover a race highlight.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.