The Wave, Muscat looks to defend Cardiff Extreme Sailing Series title

by Oman Sail 19 Aug 2013 10:31 PDT 23-26 August 2013

Oman Sail during the Extreme Sailing Series 2012 Act in Cardiff © Mark Lloyd / www.lloydimages.com

The Wave, Muscat, skippered by British sailor Leigh McMillan and with two Omani sailors onboard, is preparing to defend its overall podium position during Act 6 of the Extreme Sailing Series 2013. Eight teams are currently confirmed to return to Cardiff for the British leg of the global series taking place over the UK Bank Holiday weekend, 23-26 August.

This will be the second time the event has been hosted by the Welsh city, seen as one of the highlights of the race calendar, with true stadium style racing right in the heart of the city on Cardiff Harbour.

After a nail biting victory in Portugal during Act 5, The Wave, Muscat is tied on overall points with Alinghi for the 2013 series title. Last year's event in Cardiff witnessed a tense battle between The Wave, Muscat's skipper Leigh McMillan and his then team-mate, previous skipper of Oman Air, Morgan Larson. Both skippers and crews pushed themselves and the boats to the limit as they fought for every point, but patience paid off as The Wave, Muscat claimed victory on the final race of the final day in 2012. The two rivals line up against each other again in Cardiff, this time with Larson sailing onboard Oman's closest competition Alinghi. With both teams heading into the Cardiff event on equal points, overall victory for The Wave, Muscat is vital in order to stay on track to defend their series title.

Speaking ahead of the event, skipper of The Wave Muscat Leigh McMillan said, "Cardiff was a hard event last year, the racing was very tight and the conditions were pretty gusty. While the course is fantastic for the spectators it creates a very challenging environment for us on the water, but that's part of the fun of these events. We know Alinghi will be looking to make up for coming second in Porto at the last event. In order to stay ahead on the leader board we will have to bring our A-Game to this event and stay cool under pressure. As the leading team we recognise that we might be a bit of a target, it's going to be important to stay focused, sail our own event and stay out of trouble on the race course."

The race-course in Cardiff is incredibly challenging, a short course located in the heart of Cardiff Harbour, allowing little room for error, small passing opportunities and no runway for mistakes at the turning marks. As ever, consistency will be king, along with strategic starts, impeccable boat handling and keeping cool under pressure. Gusty conditions in 2012 made boat handling difficult, with many collisions and knocks between the boats, the eight teams will be hoping for more settled conditions in 2013. Racing starts at 1400 BST everyday from Friday 23rd until Monday 27th August.

Hashim Al Rashdi, bowman onboard, is looking forward to returning to Cardiff: "It is great to be back in Cardiff – it is a tricky venue and we have some work to do to keep our position at the top of the leaderboard, Alinghi is a very strong competitor, but we are hopeful that we can do what it takes to come out on top for The Wave, Muscat and Oman."

The Wave, Muscat - Crewlist

Skipper/Helm: Leigh McMillan (GBR)
Tactician: Ed Smyth (NZL)
Mainsail Trimmer: Pete Greenhalgh (GBR)
Headsail Trimmer: Musab Al Hadi (OMA)
Bowman: Hashim Al Rashdi (OMA)

Extreme Sailing Series 2013 Standings: (after Act 5, Porto)

1. The Wave, Muscat (OMA) 36 points
2. Alinghi (SUI) 36 points
3. Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 30 points
4. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 27 points
5. Realteam (SUI) 22 points
6. GAC Pindar (NZL) 21 points
7. Team X Invitational 17 points
8. Team Korea (KOR) 16 points

Cardiff Act 6 event schedule:

Friday 23 August (Official media day)