MUSCAT- Oman Sail’s Extreme Sailing Series team on-board The Wave, Muscat held their nerve all the way down adrenalin alley in Cardiff, the United Kingdom, to pull off a remarkable victory in Act 5 of the circuit, while the second boat, Oman Air, put down a marker for the rest of the series.
To take the win, they needed to execute some bold moves resulting in all three ending up in a ‘tangle’, which as McMillan explained, worked in favour of the Omani boat.
“It has been a roller coaster ride here in Cardiff – pretty emotional,” admitted McMillan. “We battled all through the day and we tried to race well as a team and after a couple of bad races at the start, we regrouped and we did it. It came down to the wire as always in the last race. We don’t do things the easy way so it was pretty touch and go.”
The victory, their second in the series after a win in Muscat earlier this year, reduces Alinghi’s overall lead in the series to just two points with three Acts in 2014 remaining including the next Act in Istanbul.
“We’ve been solid all year and are winning events but in Istanbul, we can take it back to Alinghi and it will continue to be a big showdown as the year progresses.”
The Wave, Muscat crew of Nasser Al Mashari, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh and Kinley Fowler attracted a large and loyal following among the local crowds in Cardiff and they were thrilled at the support.
“To win an Extreme 40 event especially in Cardiff is a big deal so we are very happy,” said Al Mashari. “It was good to hear the spectators cheering for us as we came through the finish line. It made it more powerful and exciting.”
The addition of new crewmember Ted Hackney had been a success, Greenhalgh said, and he had worked well alongside Hashim Al Rashdi, Musab Al Hadi and Kyle Langford with a marked improvement in their performances including nine podium places from 33 races.
“I am pleased with sixth – we would have liked to have finished in the top half but it was all very close. We have made general improvements and are pleased with our performances – Ted has been a great addition to the crew and everyone is happy. “It’s been a hard event but Musab and Hashim do a great job at the front of the boat making sure we get round the course quickly. “Now we are looking forward to Istanbul. We all feel we can compete for podium positions so will be looking to finish in the top five or six overall.”
The next Extreme Sailing Series event takes place in Istanbul in Turkey from September 11-14.
The UAE has confirmed the arrest of three Uzbek nationals in connection with the murder…
Dubai: Mostafa Bin Abdullatif Investments (MBAL Group), has announced the return of Chubbsafes Corporate Golf…
By Vishwanath Mannarakkal P.P. Moideen Koya, the founder and managing director of Koyenco Group, is…
Dubai: Al Islami Foods, a UAE pioneer in the wholesome food products sector and a…
Did you know that the state of your oral health can provide insights into your…
DUBAI: Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the Indian multinational technology, engineering, construction, and financial services conglomerate,…