Many thanks again to Suzanne and Alan Whitewood for this update about Isle of Wight sailor Leigh McMillan. In their own words. Ed
Home to the Olympic sailing in 2008 the Chinese city of Qingdao hosted Act 2 of the 2012 Extreme Sailing Seriesâ„¢ which started on 17 April.
A grand-scale public opening ceremony and a spectacular fireworks display welcomed the nine teams including a local boat China Team and the newly announced SAP Extreme Sailing Team.
Up for grabs was the ‘Double Star Cup’ and favourites Groupe Edmond de Rothschild were seeking revenge over Act 1 champions, Oman Air.
Children meet Muscat crew
Before the event The Wave, Muscat’s skipper, Isle of Wight sailor Leigh McMillan welcomed 40 children to the Qingdao Olympic Museum in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games village before introducing them to the rest of his crew.
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 Red Bull Sailing Team 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 day 1.
Battle between Muscat and GAC Pindar
Battle at the top of the leaderboard was supremely close between Red Bull Sailing Team, The Wave, Muscat and GAC Pindar. The British crew led by match-racing supremo Ian Williams on GAC Pindar made an early bid for the leaderboard, claiming the first race win of the Act, but Leigh McMillan’s The Wave, Muscat were waiting to pounce, claiming victory in the following two races.
McMillan went on to win an impressive third race in race five of the day, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Hagara’s men: “It was a really good day for us – we are happy with the result,” said McMillan.
Tricky conditions
On the first day of racing in Qingdao, The Wave, Muscat’s Leigh McMillan said the team were ‘scratching their heads’ as they tried to figure out the tricky conditions but on day two it certainly seemed like they had it sussed, coming out all guns blazing to win the opening two races, leaving them tied on points with Red Bull Sailing Team.
It was a game of cat and mouse between Austria and Oman for the first five races with Red Bull Sailing Team temporarily regaining control in race 18, but in the next race The Wave, Muscat overhauled them, putting an end to their reign at the top of the leaderboard.
“It is very close for the top 4 or 5 so anyone can take it. 10-12 points doesn’t mean anything in this kind of racing. If we sail well we will have the chance to win so that´s what we need to do,” said McMillan.
Champions of Act 2
On the final day of racing The Wave, Muscat came out fighting and made their intentions clear from the first start gun – winning the opening race of the day. Going into the final double points race, and to his surprise, McMillan had an untouchable lead. Therefore it was an ecstatic Leigh McMillan and his crew who won Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series with a race to spare, a feat rarely achieved on the circuit. Leigh’s team also moved into the lead for the overall Series.
Altogether Act 2 saw 29 races watched by over 55,000 spectators. “We are thrilled to have won here in Qingdao and to have a second and a first place for the first two events is very good stuff for us. We weren’t necessarily expecting to win here. It’s been a tight competition and Red Bull Sailing Team have been performing very well this week and always getting closer and closer, and pushing us harder and harder.” said Leigh.
