Thanks to Suzanne and Alan for this latest update on Island sailor Leigh McMillan. Ed
After some hard racing and challenging weather conditions Isle of Wight sailor Leigh McMillan was disappointed after Act 2 of this year’s Extreme 40 racing series.
Commenting after day four Leigh said “That race (the last of the Act) was all decided on the start. We thought we had a good strategy, it just didn’t quite pan-out for us. The fleet got away and there were no options to come back into the race so it was decided there and then.”
Known for the fight back
For those watching it was the biggest surprise of the day because Leigh and his crew on ‘The Wave, Muscat’ are known for their ability to fight back on the final day but with racing reduced to a single race it just wasn’t enough for skipper Leigh and a poor start ultimately cost them the podium.
Marina Bay Reservoir
Act 2 of the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series was sailed in Singapore with the Extreme Sailing Series Race Village nestled in the heart of this bustling city.
Marina Bay Reservoir provided a temporary residence for the eight Extreme 40s and there was support from the event’s local main partner Aberdeen Asset Management which also is the main sponsor for Cowes Week.
Day one
Four races were staged on day one and Morgan Larson, (who replaces Ernesto Bertarelli as skipper in Singapore), and his Swiss America’s Cup compatriots on Alinghi won the first and last races of the day, but it didn’t quite compare to Leigh McMillan’s consistent performance whose Omani team The Wave, Muscat took honours after day one.
Talking tactics, McMillan, who won Act 1 on home waters in Muscat Oman, explained: “In light winds you’ve got a lot more time to actually talk about the situations and to react. You need to maintain your composure and be very, very patient with the conditions, and make sure you do things at the right time. It’s great to be in Singapore and to be here racing within these buildings. With these conditions it’s quite tough but as the wind picks up I’m sure it will be full on and we won’t have much time to react and think about what’s happening, we will just have to sail as it comes.”
Leigh’s team, (Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Musab Al Hadi, Hashim Al Rashdi,) ended the day on the podium with 32 points. Second were Alinghi (SUI) Morgan Larson, Stuart Pollard, Pierre-Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey with 29 points.
Day two
After four early morning races on day two American Morgan Larson and his Swiss team Alinghi had overhauled Leigh McMillan’s The Wave, Muscat and that’s how it remained until the end of the day.
But as Larson explained, on this race course, that doesn’t mean a thing. “It can be anybody’s race at any time. The boundaries keep the fleet tight, and this is any team’s game.” In third position was Red Bull Sailing Team.
Day three
Day three and a day that challenged even the most experienced Extreme 40 sailor with hardly a team being able to keep their cool under the blazing Singaporean sun. Alinghi’s team, however, didn’t break their stride starting the day as they finished it by winning races and headed into the finale with a solid, but not untouchable, 27-point advantage at the top of the leaderboard having now gained 178 points. 2nd was Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) with 151 points and Leigh’s team had dropped to 3rd with145 points.
Day four
On day four shortly after the fleet left the dock and due to the lack of breeze, the Race Committee made the call to run non-points scoring exhibition races, and as the racing was all but abandoned the wind filled in, and the teams were able to complete one more race which changed the face of the Act results.
Morgan Larson and his Swiss team Alinghi sailed a faultless regatta at Act 2 in Singapore to claim overall victory.
Only one race was sailed on the final day in typical light wind Singaporean conditions but it was one of the most-tense final races ever in the seven-year history of the Series with any of the teams capable of a podium position going into the race.
However, there was disappointment for Leigh and his team and they finished in fifth position reducing their overall standing after two Acts to third.
Image: © Lloyd Images/Oman Sail
