Extreme Sailing Series - The Wave, Muscat sails to victory in Oman

by Oman Sail on 23 Mar 2014 In Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series, the defending champions The Wave, Muscat with Leigh McMillan at the helm have claimed victory in Muscat after one of the closest series races on record.

The crowds who had gathered to watch their home teams in the grandstand setting of Almouj Golf Club couldn’t have wished for anything more spectacular particularly with the nail-biting last race where any one of three teams including The Wave, Muscat, Emirates Team New Zealand, and Alinghi could have taken the overall win.

At the start of the day, The Wave, Muscat was lying in fifth place but McMillan’s team, including Pete Greenhalgh, Sarah Ayton, Kinley Fowler and Nasser Al Mashari, were on top form in the tough conditions right from the start and demonstrated, once again exactly what makes them defending double-Extreme Sailing Series Champions.

McMillan commenting as he stepped ashore this afternoon, said: 'It was amazing sailing, absolutely perfect. We pushed hard at every opportunity and took gains when we could.

'We all knew we had to be exceptional to raise our game today. We all wanted it, so there was a lot of team effort and we pushed it hard all the way.

'When the pressure is on, it kind of comes off for us, for some reason, and I enjoy it a bit more and that’s what happened today, I just enjoyed my day’s sailing.'

With winds up to 26kts and sparkling sunshine over the Gulf of Oman, the 11 professional teams were treated to a day of first class racing in the stunning open water setting of Muscat. As the wind continued to build and the pressure started to stack up, the Omani teams – The Wave, Muscat and Oman Air – were among those who really came into their own.

Going into the final double points race (Race 29) the situation for The Wave, Muscat couldn’t have been much closer with just four points between overall first and fourth position, with The Wave, Muscat in pole, just two points ahead of the Danish SAP Extreme Sailing Team.

The team pulled off an impressive port tack start behind the fleet to hit the favoured right-hand side of the course, which turned out to be a pivotal point in the race. They led round the top mark and crossed the finish line ahead of Gazprom Team Russia, and their closest rivals Emirates Team New Zealand and Alinghi who finished in third and fourth places respectively.

Sarah Ayton, tactician said: 'It was an awesome day. We had a lot to do but as soon as the breeze is up, the boys are just incredible.'

Nasser Al Mashari, bowman, added: 'I am so proud and so happy to have won here in my hometown. We could hear all the Omanis shouting for us as we crossed the line at the finish. It was fantastic.'

One of the biggest thrills for Rob Greenhalgh and his young, ambitious team on Oman Air was a win in the third race of the day when the wind was really starting to build. Inspired, Greenhalgh, Tom Johnson, Wil Howden, and Oman Sail’s 49er duo – Hashim Al Rashdi and Musab Al Hadi, then went on to score a second place in Race 27.

Greenhalgh commented: 'It was great to win a race. We are improving all the time and today we had some good starts. Our boat handling is something we need to work on but other than that, we are pleased with what we have achieved this week and are looking forward to the next Act in China.'

Musab Al Hadi, bowman aboard Oman Air said the thrill of winning a race on home waters and sailing well for the crowd is rewarding: 'We knew there was a lot of support out there so we were very happy to have won a race in home waters. It was great to have a bit more wind too. We were asking for the wind and it finally arrived today. It was tough but we sailed well. We can see our improvements and we know we have a lot to work on but that gives us encouragement to keep challenging and fighting our way up the leaderboard.'

The teams are now looking forward to Act 3 in Qingdao – a venue that can produce a variety of conditions, from light to strong, cold to hot and clear to foggy. It is possibly one of the most challenging venues on the circuit but the 2008 Olympic venue is always a popular one. Oman Sail