Extreme Sailing Series 2014 - Oman Sail crews relish ‘critical’ point

by Oman Sail on 29 Sep 2014 The 2014 Extreme Sailing Series reaches a ‘critical’ point with Act 7 in Nice later this week but Oman Sail’s crews on The Wave, Muscat and Oman Air are relishing the growing challenge and its intensity.

Lying just one point behind series leaders Alinghi after closing the gap in Istanbul, The Wave, Muscat is gearing up for the last two events starting with Nice on Thursday and the final double points finale in Sydney in December.
But according to skipper Leigh McMillan, who is defending his 2013 victory in Nice, this escalating level of competition is proving both stimulating and motivating.

'We are quite enjoying the fact that the series is reaching boiling point and we are excited by the challenge,' said the British skipper who for the seventh time this season will race with a fixed crew of Nasser Al Mashari, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh and Kinley Fowler.

'It has become more competitive as the events have gone by but we are sailing really well and are still learning new things and improving all the time so it is a nice situation to be in.'

The drama in Act six in Istanbul three weeks ago, which saw Emirates Team New Zealand break The Wave, Muscat and Alinghi’s grip over the winning spots, highlighted the intense rivalry on the water between the leading teams but with so much to play for, this was hardly surprising, McMillan said.

'Rivalries have always played a big part in this racing and teams are upping the ante towards the climax of the season so it gets pretty heated on the water but it doesn’t take long for things to settle down afterwards and we start thinking about the next challenge and what lies ahead.

'It is hard fought but you would expect that and it never has any lasting impact. It was great to see Emirates Team New Zealand bounce back after a difficult time in Cardiff and they are definitely adding to the mix as are Oman Air who are sailing really well and improving with every event.'

Oman Air’s fourth place in Istanbul, their best result of the series was a real boost for the team and reflected their focus on teamwork, said skipper Rob Greenhalgh (GBR).

'We have got some really good guys on Oman Air who are beginning to gel and we are reaping the rewards,' he said of his crew Ted Hackney, Kyle Langford, Hashim Al Rashdi and Musab Al Hadi.

'The only way to improve is to practice but with just one day dedicated to training at the start of each Act, you see a lot of practice being done on the race course which makes it all the more interesting.'

No one quite knows what to expect from the conditions in Nice, added Oman Air bowman Hashim Al Rashdi.

'Based on what we have seen in previous years, it will be one of two extremes – no wind or lots of wind,' he said.
'We have no idea at this stage but whatever the conditions we know there will be tight racing and there will be no let up over the four days. We are sailing well so we are really looking forward to it and to doing our best.'

Act seven in Nice starts on Thursday October 2 and continues through to Sunday October 5 with up to 32 races scheduled. The action takes place close to the shore, off the Quai des États-Unis where the Extreme Race Village will be located.