Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao - Overall
by Extreme Sailing Series 3 May 2015 17:40 BST
30 April - 3 May 2015
All or nothing – a nail-biting end as SAP Extreme Sailing Team take maiden Act win
Gazprom Team Russia take their first ever podium position, finishing in third – just four points behind The Wave, Muscat
The Land Rover Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3, Qingdao came to a nail-biting conclusion today, as SAP Extreme Sailing Team took their first ever Act win – and just for good measure, they scooped the Land Rover Above and Beyond Award for their outstanding performance as a team in China.
After two days racing in dense fog, Danish co-skippers Jes Gram-Hansen and Rasmus Køstner were dominating the Act, and had a 23-point lead going into the final day. However, Qingdao was not going to let the Danes run away with the lead that easily.
For the grand final, blue skies and a complete 180-degree wind shift greeted the teams, blowing from the north and shooting bullets of breeze (anything from 3-20 knots) through the city skyline and hitting the racecourse at unpredictable angles.
The change in conditions looked to have set the leaders off their pace, but the Danish were able to capitalise on their outstanding performance over the three days of racing – that included 14 podiums, 5 race wins – to keep the chasing pack at bay. "It was fantastic for us to win our first Act, something that we have wanted to do for a long time and have been very close to doing a few times but today it finally came together," explained a visibly thrilled Jes Gram Hansen before stepping on stage, "We are proud to represent our country and also proud to win here because we have received a lot of support, not least from SAP, but also from friends and family back home, which is just fantastic."
In the chasing pack the battle was on for the remaining podium positions, between The Wave, Muscat and Gazprom Team Russia – and the deciding moment came in the final race. Needing to keep a four-boat gap on leaders SAP Extreme Sailing Team, the young Russians had the Act win in their reach but a penalty at the windward mark cost them not only the Act but second place too – Phil Robertson, Igor Lisovenko and the team settling for a hugely admirable third place – their first podium position since joining the circuit. "We feel a bit unlucky, but clearly stoked with third overall," explained Robertson. "It's a big step for the team, especially coming out of Oman when it wasn't our best event. We took a lot away from that Act, put it into play and got way better every day here. So the boys are very happy."
A win in the final double point race put Leigh McMillan's The Wave, Muscat in second overall, with Red Bull Sailing Team significantly finishing in fourth, seeing a shake up on the Series rankings – SAP Extreme Sailing Team now striding ahead with 28 points, The Wave, Muscat in second on 27 and Red Bull Sailing Team in third, with 25.
The 2015 Extreme Sailing Series now heads for the UK for Act 4, Cardiff presented by Land Rover, 18-21-June, as the Series approaches the mid way point on the eight Act global tour.
Act 3, Qingdao Overall Results: (22 races)
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Køstner, Thierry Douillard, Mads Emil Stephensen, Brad Farrand 178pts
2nd The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 166pts
3rd Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) Igor Lisovenko, Phil Robertson, Garth Ellingham, Alexander Bozhko, Aleksey Kulakov 162pts
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Hans Peter Steinacher, Jason Waterhouse, Josh McKnight, Shaun Mason, Stewart Dodson 156pts
5th Team Turx powered by Kaya Ropes (TUR) Edhem Dirvana, Mitch Booth, Selim Kakış, Pedro Andrade, Brock Callen 137pts
6th Oman Air (OMA) Stevie Morrison, Nic Asher, Ted Hackney, Ed Powys, Ali Al Balashi 115pts
7th GAC Pindar (GBR) Seve Jarvin, Jack Macartney, Marcus Ashley-Jones, Tyson Lamond, James Wierzbowski 109pts
8th Team Extreme Qingdao (CHN) Jonas Warrer, Cheng Ying Kit, Aaron Cooper, Liu Ming, Kong Chengcheng 104pts
9th Lino Sonego Team Italia (ITA) Lorenzo Bressani, Enrico Zennaro, Andrea Tesei, Tom Buggy, Stefano Rizzi 104pts
Extreme Sailing Series™ 2015 Standings: (after Act 3)
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 28pts
2nd The Wave, Muscat (OMA) 27pts
3rd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 25pts
4th Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) 18pts
5th Oman Air (OMA) 18pts
6th Team Turx powered by Kaya Ropes (TUR) 15pts
7th GAC Pindar (AUS) 14pts
8th Lino Songeo Team Italia (ITA) 11pts
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