Extreme Sailing Series Act 5 underway in Cardiff

by Extreme Sailing Series on 31 Aug 2012 Act 5 of the Extreme Sailing Series on Cardiff Bay, Wales got underway today with breezy and gusty conditions ensuring an action-packed opening for the nine Extreme 40s. Austria’s Red Bull Sailing Team blasted round the tight courses, reaching speeds of 29mph (25.4 knots) relishing the conditions that put Roman Hagara’s men at the top of the rankings at the end of day one.

'This was racing on the edge up to 25 knots of wind but we never lost control of the boat. It’s nice to be in first place but there are still three days to go. We have to focus and to concentrate and we can win,' said Hagara.

For local entry, Team Wales, skippered by young Welsh talent Dave Evans and with Team GB 470 Olympic silver medallist Hannah Mills calling tactics, the day ended in drama when the 62ft mast came crashing down. A component failure in the rig caused the mast to fall but it remained intact and the team expects to be back on the water tomorrow – after what is sure to be a long night for their shore team.

Today was about supreme boat handling and minimizing mistakes and both Oman Air and GAC Pindar in the main did just that to end the day in second and third respectively. 'It was a wild day, things happened quick and it was some of the tightest courses and some of the strongest wind we’ve had and that made it pretty exciting,' said US skipper Morgan Larson. 'It was kind of hectic, there were tight corners, it was gusty, shifty, and basically we’re happy to have got through that day without any damage. The racing today was tactical, but boat handling was really the key today, that is really what got us through, sharp boat handling by all the guys.'

Eight short and sharp races were staged today, that saw the nine-boat Extreme 40 fleet power reach off the start, flying to the top mark. As always the start was key and The Wave Muscat skipper, Britain’s Leigh McMillan will be kicking himself for his false starts today. But the Omani team may be down but they are certainly not out as they are determined to make Act 5 their fourth straight win: 'We’ve had lots of bad days and always bounced back. Sometimes you need a back day to sort yourself out,' said McMillan. 'We’re going to make sure we’re on top again, particularly after today. It makes me more determined to come back and try to get back to the top.'

The nine strong Extreme 40 fleet were joined by a host of sports stars today that turned their hands to Extreme 40 racing for the first time. Ex-England cricket captain Michael Vaughan got extreme joining Andrew Walsh’s team on GAC Pindar, while some of Britain’s top sailing talent including Team Volvo sailors and Olympic silver medallists Luke Patience and Saskia Clark, 2008 Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison and Team GB match racer Kate MacGregor traded in their dinghies for Extreme 40s!

The event officially opens to the public tomorrow with thousands expected to descend on Cardiff Bay to witness the stadium style racing for the first time.

Extreme Sailing Series 2012 Act 5, Cardiff, Wales, UK standings after day one, eight races (30.8.12)
Position / Team / Points

1.Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT), Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matthew Adams, Pierre Le Clainche, Graeme Spencer 55 points

2. Oman Air (OMA), Morgan Larson, Will Howden, Charlie Ogletree, Andy Maloney, Nasser Al Mashari 50 points

3. GAC Pindar (GBR), Andrew Walsh, Anna Tunnicliffe, Mark Bulkeley, Adam Piggot, Richard Peacock 50 points

4. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN), Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Køstner, Pete Cumming, Mikkel Røssberg, Jonas Hviid 44 points

5. The Wave, Muscat (OMA), Leigh McMillan, Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Bleddyn Mon, Hashim Al Rashdi 43 points

6. Alinghi (SUI), Ernesto Bertarelli, Jean-Christophe Mourniac, Pierre-Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 39 points

7. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA), Pierre Pennec, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Christophe André, Romain Petit, Romain Motteau 36 points

8. ZouLou (FRA), Erik Maris, Philip Mourniac, Jean-Sébastien Ponce, Patrick Aucour, Bruno Jeanjean 22 points

9. Team Wales, Dave Evans, Torvar Mirsky, Tudur Owen, Hannah Mills, Ed Powys 20 points

Extreme Sailing Series website