Extreme Series / Oman Air clinch victory in Cardiff, Morgan Larson "To win here is fantastic"

The pressure mounted on the final day of Act 5 in Cardiff, and it was more than apparent out on Cardiff Bay. Leigh McMillan helming The Wave, Muscat was in the hunt for his fourth straight win, to match the Alinghi record set in 2008, and things were generally going his way until the fourth race of today. A penalty at the start of that race for infringing the leeward boats put McMillan at the back of the nine-boat fleet. In a single moment, the door opened even wider for their stable-mates Oman Air, skippered by US sailor Morgan Larson, and Austria’s Red Bull Sailing Team to get back in the frame. Two races later Oman Air went into the lead by just 2 points leaving McMillan and Hagara on equal points.

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Extreme Series / Leigh McMillan leading in Cardiff :"We’ll just push to the end"

The crowds crammed into the best vantage points around Cardiff Bay today to witness Extreme 40 ‘stadium-style’ racing as Wales’ capital city proudly hosts the UK round of the Extreme Sailing Series global tour for the first time. A festival atmosphere was predominant around the Race Village neighbouring the annual Cardiff Harbour Festival. As festival-goers took a spin on the nearby helter skelter, the guest sailors were experiencing their own form of a helter skelter ride on board the Extreme 40s in the gusty, and up and down, winds on Cardiff Bay.

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Extreme Series / Cardiff Bay prepares to become Extreme Stadium

Excitement is building in the Welsh capital Cardiff ahead of the UK leg of the 2012 Extreme Sailing Series, not only amongst the locals who are eagerly anticipating the Extreme 40s Welsh debut, but also within the teams who after their last meeting more than seven weeks ago, are champing at the bit for battle to commence, as they launch into the second half of the 2012 Series.

The fleet has already raced stadium-style in Muscat, Qingdao, Istanbul and most recently on the magnificent Douro river in Porto, and one team has dominated so far. British Olympian Leigh McMillan and his team The Wave, Muscat have triumphed in all but one of the previous Acts but as McMillan mused, it is getting harder to retain an advantage, especially with three other teams – the Austrian Red Bull Sailing Team, their stablemates Oman Air, and the French on Groupe Edmond de Rothschild.

Extreme Sailing Series / McMillan is leading in Porto

The Extreme Sailing Series, Act 4 Porto opened in spectacular fashion today with big sea swells and strong winds creating some thrilling racing. The new faces on the circuit Fred Le Peutrec and Andrew Walsh showed they can mix it up with the more experienced skippers on the opening day of racing in Porto with both men leading their teams to race wins, but ultimately it was Leigh McMillan who came out on top, alongside a familiar top three at the end of day one including Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and Red Bull Sailing Team, in what McMillan predicted after racing “will be the toughest event so far this year.

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Extreme Sailing Series / Roman Hagara’s stakes early claim on leaderboard in Istanbul

Roman Hagara and his Austrian Red Bull Sailing Team continued the impressive form they showed at Act 2 Qingdao on the opening day of the Extreme Sailing Series in Istanbul today, finishing the day in pole position. The iconic Turkish city kept the sailors on their toes, as the wind ranged from 2 knots to 13 knots as the eight strong fleet began their battle for supremacy at Act 3.

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Extreme Sailing Series / En route to Istanbul for Act 3

Historic, modern and traditional – Istanbul, the European Capital of Sport 2012, is several cities in one and the venue for Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series starting in just two weeks time. The teams will race from the 7-10 June, with one day of open water racing followed by three days of stadium racing at the juncture where the Marmara Sea meets the Bosphorus -providing the perfect natural amphitheatre for spectators to watch the racing.

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Extreme Sailing Series / Red Bull consolidate their position

The Extreme Sailing Series fleet went into stadium sailing mode today and the intensity on the water ramped up a notch, with plenty of close calls, contact between the boats, penalties and an incredible 11 false starts from the 8 races. To the satisfaction of Austrian skipper, Roman Hagara, Red Bull Sailing Team managed to hold onto their lead, but the remainder of the fleet reshuffled the leaderboard at the end of play on day 2. 

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Extreme Sailing Series / Red Bull Sailing Team lead in China

Despite Act 2 not opening officially to the public until tomorrow, thousands thronged to the breakwater to see the Extreme 40s in action on the first day of racing. The biggest support went out to China Team in their Extreme 40 debut and with two men-overboard incidents, the action was full-on. But it was the Austrian team of Red Bull Sailing skippered by Roman Hagara with his Olympic partner, Hans Peter Steinacher as tactician, who used their knowledge of the Olympic waters to edge ahead and top the leaderboard by the end of play on day 1.

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Extreme Sailing Series / French Favourites on Target for Act 1 Victory

Groupe Edmond de Rothschild lead going into the final day of Act 1 but Oman Air are just one point off first place. Tomorrow the finale with at least five teams in contention for the podium…

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Extreme Sailing Series / Best Ever Start for An Extreme 40 Debut Skipper on Opening Day of Act 1

Losing a crew over the side hardly broke the stride of Oman Air, sharing the top of the leaderboard with French favourites Groupe Edmond de Rothschild...

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