Thanks to Suzanne and Alan for this update on Isle of Wight sailor, Leigh McMillan’s progress. Ed
Just over a week ago Island sailor Leigh McMillan was sailing with his dad on the super yacht Eleonora in the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island race.
Before the race we spoke to him in Cowes and as well as very much looking forward to taking part in that race and sailing with Olympic Champion Ben Ainsley for the first time Leigh was also looking forward to the next Act of the Extreme 40 Series.
Action in Act 4
Over the last few days, Act 4 of this year’s series has been staged in Porto. Racing in Porto was spectacular, with bigger crowds than the Extreme Sailing Series has ever witnessed.
An estimated 38,000 spectators on the final day (66,000 estimated over the event) surrounded the Extreme Stadium on both the Porto and Gaia sides of the Douro River and on top of the iconic Dom Luis I bridge. A live TV broadcast shared the heart-stopping action with millions of viewers.
Saving the best for last
Porto saved the best racing conditions for the last day of the event for the eight Extreme 40s, with blue skies, and a building sea breeze funneling down the River that ended the day at 20 knots or more in the gusts.
It was a deserved win for Leigh McMillan’s Omani team, who won 10 of the 32 races over the four days – more than any other team – in one of the more dominating performances the event has seen.
“We sailed very well during this event. We’ve really gelled as a team. I think we have moved the game on quite a bit within the five of us on the boat. I am really happy – it is always tough but it just came together in Porto. The racing has been incredible”, said McMillan.
Collision cost podium place
Always in contention, and pushing The Wave, Muscat hard, had been Groupe Edmond de Rothschild until a difficult manoeuvre saw the French career into McMillan’s The Wave, Muscat putting them out of the day’s racing and costing them their podium place.
Porto provided a stadium like no other for the Extreme 40s with spectacular sailing, crowds and the NeilPryde Racing Series providing the perfect warm up to the Extreme 40s.
At halfway stage
With four Acts complete and four Acts to go, the Series is at its halfway stage. McMillan’s lead may be impressive, but it isn’t unreachable.
Next stop is another new venue when the Series visits Cardiff for Act 5 from the 30th August – 2 September. In previous years Cowes has been the venue for the UK Act.
Extreme Sailing Series 2012 Act 4 Porto- standings after Day 4, 32 races.
The results
1st The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan / Ed Smyth / Pete Greenhalgh / Hashim Al Rashdi / Bleddyn Mon 198 points
2nd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara / Hans Peter Steinacher / Matthew Adams / Graeme Spence, Pierre Le Clainche 183 points
3rd Oman Air (OMA) Morgan Larson / Will Howden / Charlie Ogletree / Nasser Al Mashari / Andy Maloney 156 points
Extreme Sailing Series 2012 Overall Series Results after Act 4, Porto
Position / Team / Points
1 The Wave, Muscat 39 points
2 Red Bull Sailing Team 33 points
3 Oman Air Team 31 points
4 Groupe Edmond de Rothschild 31 points
5 GAC Pindar 22 points
6 Alinghi 18 points
7 SAP Extreme Sailing Team 18 points
8 ZouLou 16 points
Racing series merger
At the end of June organisers of the Extreme 40 Racing Series announced a merger with other companies. In a statement they said “ Today the creation of OC Sport has been announced, a new global sports marketing and events company, formed by the merger of Patrice Clerc & Associates (PCA) and OC ThirdPole, with the backing of Matignon Investissement.”
OC Group was set up in 1997 as Offshore Challenges by Islander Mark Turner and Dame Ellen MacArthur. Created primarily to manage the sailing projects of Ellen MacArthur, OC Group grew into a global sports marketing company. Ellen MacArthur left in September 2010 to create the Ellen MacArthur Foundation shortly before OC Group merged with ThirdPole. ҬӬ
