Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X

America’s Cup winner Kyle Langford returns to Oman Sail

by Oman Sail on 28 Apr 2014
The Wave, Muscat - Skippered by Leigh McMillan (GBR) with tactician Sarah Ayton (GBR), trimer Peter Greenhalgh (GBR), headsail trimer Kinley Fowler (NZL) and bowman Nasser Al Mashari Lloyd Images
Oman Sail welcomes back America’s Cup winner Kyle Langford to Extreme 40 racing this week as both Oman Air and series leaders The Wave, Muscat head to China for the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao.

Langford, 24, is the second member of the successful Oracle Team USA crew to join the Omani squad for the 2014 season after New Zealander Kinley Fowler was unveiled as one of the new members of The Wave, Muscat at the start of the year.


He teams up with Rob Greenhalgh on Oman Air as tactician and is hopeful that his America’s Cup experience, where he was involved in one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history, will contribute to the team’s performance.

'I haven’t sailed with the guys yet but am looking forward to it, this team has the potential to be right up there,' he said.

Oman Air are currently lying in 10th place overall and skipper Greenhalgh expects Langford’s tactical expertise, wedded to his previous Extreme 40 experience on The Wave, Muscat in 2011, will make a difference.

'We wanted to ramp things up a little bit because in the two events so far, we have been very close to doing well,' Greenhalgh said.

'Although this is a subtle change, we think it will make quite a difference. We are a new team with very little training so although we would like to be doing better than 10th overall, we can’t really expect to be storming up the rankings. But if you start doing well, you pop up the overalls very quickly.'

For Leigh McMillan on The Wave, Muscat, two-time champions and current leaders of the 2014 series, storming up the rankings is an ever present aim though the vivid memories of the previous Act in Muscat where a dramatic final race became a triumphant ‘winner takes all’ affair will serve as an extra spur for the champions.

Their last visit to Qingdao in 2013 was also a tense affair with McMillan again snatching victory in the final race. Ideally, he will have things sewn up well before the finish this time he says, though admits that the thrill of pulling off a last gasp victory adds something extra to the competition.

'We have had more than our fair share of dramatic finishes over the past two and a half seasons and managed often to come out with the result we were hoping for,' he said.

'I don’t especially enjoy a close finish to an event but it is exciting and I tend not to step back when the pressure is on. In fact I probably push a bit harder.'

Despite the Stadium racing course at Fushan Bay being one of the most challenging on the Extreme Sailing Series circuit, McMillan believes there are enough strong cards among The Wave, Muscat’s crew for a winning hand and a successful defence of the Qingdao trophy.


Oman’s Nasser Al Mashari spent the past couple of weeks working on improving his skills against a massive J80 fleet at Spi Ouest as part of a first-time all-Omani crew racing a European regatta and will be bringing that experience to bear at Qingdao while Sarah Ayton will be making an emotional return to the scene of one of the greatest triumphs of her career, where she won her second Olympic gold medal six years ago.

'Nasser has been exceptional this year and has really developed as a professional sailor so it is great to have him with us while it will be exciting for Sarah to be going back to Qingdao for the first time since she won her gold in 2008. She will have some pretty good notes which will be a big help to us,' McMillan said.

'Qingdao will be tough. It’s a small course and we are not expecting a huge amount of wind which will make things difficult but we need another solid event because we have a one point lead over Alinghi at the moment so there is a lot of pressure.'

Al Mashari is a big fan of Qingdao having previously raced there on Oman Air and is excited to be getting back on board an Extreme 40 after his recent experiences in France.

'We had 80 odd boats lining up at Spi Ouest and I think that experience will help me a lot in the Extreme 40s – in terms of thinking fast, organisation and tactics. After Muscat, we all feel stronger and more excited and we are hoping to be able to do it again in China.'

Racing at the Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao, for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup, starts on Thursday May 1 with four days of public Stadium racing with the final double points race set for Sunday May 4. Crowds are expected to watch the action from the free public Race Village in Fushan Bay.



Barton Marine Pipe GlandsLloyd Stevenson - AC ETNZ 1456x180px BOTTOMDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_SY BOTTOM

Related Articles

12ft Skiff season ready to launch
With the 63rd Interdominion Championship between Australia and New Zealand opening the New Year The NSW 12 Foot Skiff sailing calendar has been announced and the program will be in full swing later this month, while the pot boiler 63rd Interdominion Championship between Australia and New Zealand, will open New Year's racing in January 2026.
Posted today at 8:45 pm
Abu Dhabi to host the GKA Kite World Tour
Top kiteboarders will take to Fahid Island's waters in a six-day spectacle of high-flying action Abu Dhabi will host the GKA Kite World Tour for the very first time, bringing back-to-back World Cups in Hydrofoil Big Air and Freestyle to Fahid Island, Abu Dhabi's newest coastal wellness destination and the world's first Fitwel-certified island.
Posted today at 8:05 pm
Mighty Magenta Community Hub launched
A unique platform for sailing and the marine industry The Magenta Project, a global charity driving equity and inclusion in sailing and the wider marine industry, is proud to announce the launch of the Mighty Magenta Community Hub - a bold and vibrant digital space designed to connect, inspire, and empower.
Posted today at 6:29 pm
Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta at Larchmond
49 teams, 384 sailors, 120 volunteers, 1 Nor'easter, and 300k on Instagram The 2025 Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta (IOR), presented by ShopRite of Carteret, organized by the Storm Trysail Club supported by the Storm Trysail Foundation, welcomed 49 teams and 384 collegiate sailors for a weekend of spirited big boat racing.
Posted today at 6:09 pm
Abu Dhabi to host GWA Wingfoil World Cup finale
The event will see the sport's top athletes descend on Fahid Island Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, will make history this autumn as it hosts the GWA Wingfoil World Cup for the very first time, serving as the grand finale of the 2025 FreeFly Slalom season.
Posted today at 5:56 pm
Breeze vs Cool Breeze
What is the difference between these two Henri-Lloyd jackets? Engineered with the same 2-later PFC-Free DRI SHELL technology, the Breeze and Cool Breeze delivery marine grade tech. The difference lies in the climate.
Posted today at 3:00 pm
Renaissance of the two ACs?
A look at how the two ACs - the Admiral's Cup and America's Cup have evolved in the past few months A look at the events of July and August including the highly successful revival of the Admirals' Cup and international offshore racing. Is the America's Cup on a new tack? Behind the scenes in SailGP. Top racer for sale.
Posted today at 11:15 am
Malta welcomes a world-class fleet
For the 2025 Yachting Malta Coastal Race The 2025 Yachting Malta Coastal Race sets sail from Marsamxett Harbour on Wednesday 15 October, marking the traditional warm-up for the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which follows on Saturday 18 October.
Posted today at 10:41 am
Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race Day 3
Unpleasant night at sea Last night was a harsh reminder of how a beautiful sail on the ocean can change in an instant, as it did last night, requiring quick thinking and action as crews worked together to bring things back under control.
Posted today at 12:14 am
J/80 North American Championship 2025 overall
J/80 North American champion determined in final race: James Buley's Le Tigre The J/80 North American Championship came to a nail-biting conclusion Sunday at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, LA.
Posted on 12 Oct