Leigh McMillan and his crew on The Wave, Muscat aim to get back on a winning track by kicking off the 2015 Extreme Sailing Series with a first ever win in Singapore while the new crew on Oman Air are raring to go, with realistic expectations from their debut.
Credit : Llyd Images
Setting out on his 7th season in Extreme 40 racing, two-time champion McMillan has had no luck on the Marina Bay race course in downtown Singapore but is hoping 2015 might be different.
“We have never won in Singapore –Alinghi always had a good handle on this venue. Morgan Larson had an edge over us in the light winds so was always strong here. Without Alinghi, this may be our big chance though in all honesty we would much rather he was here.
“It would mean a lot to us to get the season off to a winning start and we are happy with the team and the boat, which is looking as good as new. We have had a lot of work done on it – it still looks similar to last year but with some subtle changes which means we should get quite a lot more out of it.
There have been no changes to the crew on The Wave, Muscat for 2015 since last year’s final Act with McMillan once again supported by Nasser Al Mashari, Pete Greenhalgh, Ed Smyth and two-time British Olympic gold medallist Sarah Ayton, the only female to be competing regularly on the circuit this year.
“I am really looking forward to my second year – I know what to do now which helps,” joked Ayton.
“It makes me laugh when you look at how small this venue is but I loved it last year for its craziness. No race was over until it was over.
“We learned loads of lessons from last year so we are looking forward to getting on the water and putting them all together because we think they will make a difference. We are all fired up and ready to do what we are good at.”
The Wave, Muscat are determined to win back the championship title they lost to Alinghi in 2014 after holding it for two successive years and although the 2015 line-up has none of the household names, McMillan thinks the challenge will be as tough and combative as brutal.
“In Alinghi’s absence, I think SAP should be strong in 2015 – without the big names here they will benefit - and Red Bull and Gazprom will be contenders for the title,” he said.
“As the season goes on, there will be teams who will become a real threat like Oman Air - the guys on there are amazing sailors.
Oman Air skipper Stevie Morrison, who like two of his crew Ed Powys and Nic Asher flew straight into Singapore from Miami where they were furthering their Olympic 49er campaigns at the ISAF World Cup Miami, was taken aback by the size of the course but realistic about what they could achieve on debut.
“They say the camera adds 10lbs on the telly and I think it must add a few square metres because it looks a lot smaller when you are actually here, but what a cool place for a sailing event. Amazing.
“It will be shifty and gusty and that will be a test for the newcomers including us but it will be important to remain calm and relaxed.
“I think there will be opportunities for us and hopefully we can make the most of them. There is no point setting the bar anywhere – not too high but equally we don’t want to set it too low. At this stage it is all about improving each day.
“It is short racing in fast boats and that is what we are used to so that will not worry us. It will be a matter of how quickly we get to grips with the boat but Ted Hackney is comfortable with sailing the boat and a reassuring person to have around so hopefully we can fast track our progress.”
For Omani bowman Ali Al Balushi, Singapore represents the start of a big year that will see him compete in all eight Acts.
"My first Extreme 40 race was the last event in 2014 in Sydney which was amazing and I am very excited and proud to be part of this new Oman Air campaign. We will all be on a big learning curve but I can't wait," he said.
Racing in Singapore starts on February 5 and finishes on February 8 with nine teams featuring 45 world-class sailors from 10 nations taking to the water on Marina Bay, located in the heart of the city.
From Oman Sail
