Extreme Sailing Series - A storming start and a resounding win
by Oman Sail on 15 Mar 2015
The Wave - Extreme Sailing Series Mark Lloyd
http://www.lloyd-images.com
Extreme Sailing Series - After 28 races over four sunny days in Oman, Leigh McMillan’s crew on The Wave, Muscat were neck and neck with rivals SAP Extreme Sailing Team, needing to beat them in the last double points race to hang onto the title they earned in 2013 and again last year.
A storming start to the race was converted into a resounding win, by approximately 200 metres, which elevated McMillan and crew to the top of the Muscat leaderboard and tied on points for the overall lead in 2015 with SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Red Bull Sailing Team, all of them with 18 points after two Acts.
The easy win in the final race belied the nerve-wracking intensity of the final day, a relieved McMillan said afterwards.
'We had a really tough day and SAP were sailing much better than us. They had the measure of us on the start lines and really put the pressure on. It came down to the last race and having been on the back foot all day and not making the most of the situation, we just had to beat them.
'Thankfully we managed to sneak away from them at the start. It was touch and go and they were making it difficult for us but we managed to pull it off.
'It’s pretty exhausting winning like this – lots of highs and lows but we managed to pull it off in the end. It was great having all the families here too but if I’m honest, that added to the pressure!'
Until the end that is, when the sight of families and friends waving and cheering on the beach at Almouj in celebration of their win saw the pressure give way to euphoria.
'It was great to see my relatives standing there cheering proudly at the end when we won. It made me feel very proud,' said The Wave, Muscat bowman Nasser Al Mashari whose performances were watched by his family, including his father, children, sisters and nephews.
'Sailing here in Muscat is obviously different from the other Extreme events but I found it very exciting, especially when we won.'
Oman Air found themselves disqualified from Race 25 as penalty for a collision in the previous race, which ended Red Bull Sailing Team’s Muscat campaign but they still managed to hold on to their fourth position.
It was an unfortunate mistake, explained skipper Stevie Morrison which they put down to their limited experience with the boats, this being only their second Extreme event, and an enthusiasm to succeed.
'They were bearing away slowly as we went round the mark and we thought we saw a gap inside them but they firmly shut the door. We were only a couple of inches from getting round the back of them but as soon as you start turning these boats, they stop.
'I felt really sorry for them but I hope they understand it was a racing incident and a mistake.'
Morrison’s crew of Ted Hackney, Ed Powys, Nic Asher and Ali Al Balushi finished fourth which puts them in second place on the overall leaderboard, just five points behind the leaders. It had been a tough event for them but they felt like they were making major inroads on the fleet, Morrison said.
'We feel like we made a big jump. At the start of this event, everyone was talking about a runaway top three but now maybe there is a top four.
'We have no illusions that we have a fair way to go, but hopefully we have shown we can play the game and we can build on that. We have absolutely loved racing in Muscat – it was my first time here but I reckon it must be one of the best sailing venues in the world.'
The Extreme Sailing Series moves to Qingdao in China for the third Act where each of the top three teams, including The Wave, Muscat will be pulling out all the stops to close out an advantage over their rivals. The action starts in Fushan Bay on April 30 and continues through to May 3.
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