Thanks to Suzanne and Alan for this latest sailing news. Ed
After five years competing with the Extreme Sailing Series The Wave, Muscat’s British helm and Isle of Wight born, Leigh McMillan has become a household name in multihull sailing.
It hasn’t always come easy to the 35-year-old and Leigh knows all too well that in the world of Extreme Sailing it is never a ‘sure thing’ until the final finish line.
Reflecting on the last four years
On the eve of the final Act of the 2015 season in Sydney Harbour Leigh was poised to enter the history books as the only skipper in the Series’ nine years to win three championship titles. Before the Act he commented:
“Of course it’s important, not just as the last Act of the season, but also the last time we will race an Extreme 40. I wouldn’t say I feel emotional about it, but it has made me reflect on the last four years and what an exceptional journey it has been with the Oman Sail team. I guess being in Oman last week it started to hit home that this is the end of an era.”
The end of an era
With the announcement that the Extreme Sailing Series is moving to the hydro-foiling GC32 catamaran for 2016, this new class of boat will take the place of the Extremes for the sailing series so this Act was truly the End of an Era.
Day 1 of racing and with everything to play for, the Extreme 40s came out all-guns-blazing in Sydney Harbour for the final Act of 2015.
At the morning press conference, Oman Air’s skipper Stevie Morrison threw down the gauntlet, saying his aim for the regatta was to give The Wave, Muscat a “run for their money” and, with three race wins and two second place finishes, Morrison certainly was true to his word.
A day of costly penalties
It was a day of costly penalties for some crews, and race-ending collisions that reduced the fleet of nine boats to just six. It was SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Oman Air that shone through finishing the day first and second respectively.
Overnight standings showed SAP Extreme Sailing Team top of the leaderboard on 67 points. A confident start for the Danish crew, who needed the Act win to challenge for the overall Series title.
“The only thing we can do over the next couple of days is try and put as many points on the table as possible,” said co-skipper Rasmus Kostner after racing.
In second place was Oman Air on 63 points, but in joint second was Extreme 40 heavyweights The Wave, Muscat. Being only four points adrift from the top, Leigh and his crew were still on track for the series win.
Punishing wind gusts
Day 2 and with an ominous wind forecast at the morning race briefing, the Extreme Sailing Series Act 8 in Sydney didn’t disappoint.
Battling punishing gusts of 30-knots that funnelled through the skyscrapers, Lino Sonego Team Italia were caught off-guard by a big gust of wind coming off the Sydney Opera House, resulting in a dramatic capsize in front of the crowds.
However 30 minutes later the Italian team were upright and incredibly shook off the nerves to make it back onto the racecourse for the next race.
Leapfrogging to first place
The day’s unpredictable conditions saw a lead change on the podium, with The Wave, Muscat leapfrogging from joint second to first, now tied on 83 points with SAP Extreme Sailing Team. Oman Air was just three points adrift on 80points.
The Wave, Muscat’s helm Leigh, said,
“We haven’t been exceptional, but we haven’t been disastrous either.
“Today’s gusts were so aggressive you couldn’t really keep in control. It was nerve racking at times and pretty full on. Hopefully conditions get a little more normal tomorrow so we can smash in some good races.”
Defensive-attack
Day 3 and with the end in sight The Wave, Muscat crew and Leigh sailed the day in defensive-attack. Careful not to engage with his competitors on the racetrack, time and time again the crowds watched as Leigh tactically crossed the start line, split from the pack and created his own opportunities to sail through the fleet, to take six podium positions from eight races.
The Wave, Muscat’s relentless, but reserved tactics put the team at the top of the leaderboard going into the final day on 147-points – and a step closer for Leigh to make history as the only ever skipper to win three Extreme Sailing Series championship titles.
However while Leigh played it safe, the battle heated up for second and third, in both Sydney and on the overall Series leaderboard, as Danes, SAP Extreme Sailing Team on 144 points and Austrians, Red Bull Sailing Team on 131 points both looked for glory.
Leigh “Most successful skipper”
Day 4 saw Leigh officially crowned as the most successful skipper in the nine-year history of the Extreme Sailing Series when he clinched an unprecedented third championship title.
Leigh and his crew on The Wave, Muscat completed his hat-trick in superb style with yet another convincing Act win in Sydney Harbour against the stunning backdrop of the Sydney Opera House in front of thousands of spectators who lined the waterfront.
Leigh: “We live for days like today”
After picking up the ‘Land Rover Above and Beyond Award’ for man of the match as well as the main award, an elated McMillan said,
“We live for days like today, it was absolutely awesome.
“It means so much to me, I just feel so chuffed about the way it’s gone. Sailing with the team and building those relationships has been incredible.”
Key to The Wave, Muscat’s success not only lies in Leigh’s experience on the helm, but in the consistent performance of his outstanding crew. These include British double Olympic gold medallist and current ISAF World Sailor of the Year Sarah Ayton, America’s Cup sailors Pete Greenhalgh and Ed Smyth and Omani sailor Nasser Al Mashari.
Battle for podium positions
With the Sydney Act and 2015 Series crown decided by mid-afternoon, the battle raged for the remaining podium positions.
Second-placed SAP Extreme Sailing Team almost lost it all to Red Bull Sailing Team in the closing moments of the final race after a collision with Gazprom Team Russia, but went on to hold onto second place not only in Sydney but overall in the Series.
Farewell to the Extreme 40 catamarans
This Sydney Act not only saw the end of the 2015 season, but saw the Extreme Sailing Series bid a fond farewell to the Extreme 40 catamarans as Series originators and organisers OC Sport usher in a new era with the GC32 hydro-foiling catamaran as their boat choice from the start of 2016.
Over the last nine years the Series has seen millions of spectators and thousands of VIP guests watch the racing from the shore.
In the first few years the UK rounds were sailed off Cowes, with thousands of spectators watching from the shore, prior to the move to Cardiff. In 2016 the Extreme Sailing Series is set to continue to break new ground and innovate as it brings cutting edge foiling boats into its unique city-centre Stadium Racing settings.
Result for Sydney:
1st The Wave, Muscat (OMA) 213 points.
2nd SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 198 points.
3rd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 196 points.
4th Oman Air (OMA) 174 points.
5th Team Turx (TUR)160 points.
6th Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) 143 points.
7th Lino Sonego Team Italia (ITA)125 points.
8th GAC Pindar (GBR)122 points.
9th 33 South Racing (AUS) 97 points.
Overall Series Result for 2015:
1st The Wave, Muscat (OMA) 87 points.
2nd SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 74 points.
3rd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 70 points.
4th Oman Air (OMA) 58 points.
5th Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) 51 points.
6th Team Turx (TUR) 44 points.
7th GAC Pindar (GBR) 43 points.
8th Lino Sonego Team Italia (ITA) 42 points.
Image: © Lloyd Images
