Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 8 at Rio de Janeiro - Day 2
by Extreme Sailing Series 8 Dec 2012 05:41 GMT
6-9 December 2012
Extreme Sailing Series Act 8 at Rio de Janeiro day 2 © Lloyd Images
Gloves come off at the halfway stage
At the halfway stage of Act 8 in Rio de Janeiro, and the deciding round of the overall Extreme Sailing Series 2012 championship, the pressure on the water turned up a notch today with the four teams who are gunning for the 2012 Series podium hitting their accelerators and taking charge of the Act leaderboard – which is developing into one of the closest we have seen so far this season with only two points separating the top four teams.
Going into the final race of the day three teams were tied on points in the top spot – The Wave, Muscat, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and Oman Air – but no one could right-off Red Bull Sailing Team and a second place in the final race for Roman Hagara propelled his team from fourth to first with the Austrian double Olympic gold medallist leading the charge as we reach the halfway stage of the regatta. "Yesterday we made a lot of mistakes. Today we improved a little bit, but we still aren't happy. It did turn out well at the end of the day, but we will have to pick it up for the last two days to come out on top. We've got a chance to be on the podium overall, that's the goal for the team, and that's what we are fighting for."
The conditions off Flamengo Beach were demanding – light breeze with gusts funneling off the surrounding mountains, which local expert and skipper of wildcard entry Team Brasil Torben Grael explained is the status quo for this area. The racing, however, was no less intense for the light winds, and eight races saw four different winners with the French on Groupe Edmond de Rothschild taking the lions-share winning an impressive four, putting their pursuit of the podium back on track after beginning the day in seventh place – a reminder to the other teams that no one should be discounted here. "It was a really good day – we are lying in third, but were able to close the points gap on the top boats which we needed to do today," commented skipper Pierre Pennec after racing. "Everything was running smoothly onboard and we are going into the final two days with all guns blazing,"
Leigh McMillan's team The Wave, Muscat – although yet to win a race in Rio – are tied on points with Hagara. The 2012 Series trophy is beckoning for them but by McMillan's high standards, the team was off pace today. "It was a frustrating day, we really felt like we were struggling and battling our way around in the middle of the fleet. It's a surprise to find we are still in the hunt to be honest so that's a huge positive for the team as we were feeling pretty down at the end of racing. We can take some relief from that and come back tomorrow fighting."
The Wave, Muscat's Omani stablemates Oman Air had a solid day and two race wins puts them within touching distance of Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, one point behind on 79 and in fourth place. Watch Charlie Ogletree, the teams trimmer and Olympic silver medallist analyzing one of their winning races (race 12):
The top four teams are far from safe in their positions here in Rio de Janeiro and they will be looking over their shoulders at both Alinghi and SAP Extreme Sailing Team who are within striking distance of their first podium positions this Series. With two days of racing left and up to 20 races, it is anyone's guess what shape the Act 8 Rio leaderboard will take when the 2012 Series comes to a close on Sunday 9th December. Fans online can watch as the action unfolds on the official event website from 1500 CET with live video streaming of all the race coverage.
Standings after Day 2: (14 races)
1. Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT), Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matthew Adams, Pierre Le Clainche, Graeme Spence 81 points
2. The Wave, Muscat (OMA), Leigh McMillan, Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Hannah Mills, Hashim Al Rashdi 81 points
3. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA), Pierre Pennec, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Hervé Cunningham, Romain Petit, Bernard Labro 80 points
4. Oman Air (OMA), Morgan Larson, Will Howden, Charlie Ogletree, Andy Maloney, Nasser Al Mashari 79 points
5. Alinghi (SUI), Pierre-Yves Jorand, Jean-Christophe Mourniac, Bruno Barbarin, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 77 points
6. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN), Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Køstner, Pete Cumming, Mikkel Røssberg, Jonas Hviid 70 points
7. ZouLou (FRA), Erik Maris, Philip Mourniac, Jean-Sébastien Ponce, Patrick Aucour, Bruno Jeanjean 63 points
8. GAC Pindar (GBR), Andrew Walsh, Anna Tunnicliffe, Mark Bulkeley, Adam Piggot, Richard Peacock 56 points
9. Team Brasil (BRA), Torben Grael, Alex Welter, Diogo Cayolla, André Mirsky, Marco Grael 43 points
Oman Air and The Wave, Muscat in four-way podium fight (from Oman Sail)
Another nail biting afternoon on the water under the blazing Brazilian sun for day two of the Extreme Sailing Series in Rio de Janeiro saw fortunes changing by the minute.
Despite being holed after Red Bull Sailing Team collided with them yesterday, Oman Air was back on the water thanks to the hard work of Jo Lees and his technical shore crew, Mohammed Al Shikely and Hilal Al Zadjali. They worked through the night, only finishing at breakfast time this morning, to get the damaged catamaran fixed and back on the race track.
"Jo Lees and his team did another superb job," said grateful skipper Morgan Larson. "It is the third stern repair they have turned around in 12 hours. The boat is as good as it was when it was brand new. He won his race and we were happy to perform decently today, keep the boat in one piece and do right by him."
The Oman Air crew repaid the shore team's effort by coming home first in today's second race.
But as ever with the Extreme Sailing Series it was a game of snakes and ladders out on the race course, but particularly so today, the wind 5-6 knots for the first and last of today's races, building to 10-12 mid-afternoon and shifting through 90 degrees and back during racing. No team to put in a consistent performance.
On two occasions today, The Wave, Muscat and Oman Air were tied in first place on the Rio leaderboard, but at the close of play The Wave, Muscat remains tied on points with the leader – now the Roman Hagara-skippered Red Bull Sailing Team - with Oman Air fourth, but just two points from first after 14 races.
In terms of the 2012 overall Extreme Sailing Series championship, The Wave, Muscat is still looking safe in first, but it could not be closer for Oman Air in their fight to hang to second. As it stands now, Morgan Larson's team is now tied in second place with Red Bull Sailing Team, while Groupe Edmond de Rothschild is just half a point behind.
Such was the nature of the day that The Wave, Muscat skipper Leigh McMillan came ashore incensed by his own performance, and was shocked to hear his team was tied in first. "That's a surprise. We thought we'd had a terrible day! I thought we'd be fifth or sixth at best. You've delivered some lifesaving news."
Difficult conditions, McMillan felt were hampered by more poor starting on his part and a few unforeseen issues on the race course. "We started sailing quite well after the first couple of races, but we kept on having bad situations: In one race we got up to third and we hooked up a mooring buoy - there were two buoys attached which I didn't see until the last minute. We hooked that up just before the windward mark and then we hook it up again just after the windward mark!"
The Wave, Muscat's bowman Hashim Al Rashdi added: "Today it was a really tricky day – the breeze was up and down and quite shifty, but not only for us, for all of the fleet it was a hard, hard day. I am surprised but so happy to hear we are second."
While The Wave, Muscat still haven't won a race yet, Oman Air's performance was slightly less consistent, finishing first in two today, but in two others Morgan Larson's team had to fight back from last place at the start.
"In one we got pinned out one by the Brazilians and then in the final start the wind headed a little bit and I tried a risky move and got under the fleet and got pinned out again and had to gybe round while everyone was racing. My starting didn't help the team today, but we have such a deep team on board and they just kept fighting all the way through," admitted Larson.
While at the end of today Oman Air's rivals for second place on the season podium are a fraction ahead, Larson says that they are not yet targeting one another. "I think there is enough balance in the results for everyone and the wind is shifty enough that you are really looking out for yourself. Saying that, if you give them an opportunity, then they'll come after you."
Racing continues at the Extreme Sailing Series in Rio de Janeiro tomorrow at 1400 local time.
A Racing VIP in Rio (from SAP Extreme Sailing Team)
SAP's CEO, Jim Hagemann joined the SAP Extreme Sailing Team for a taste of life in a professional racing team.
It was the first time that Jim has had the opportunity to see what all the excitement is about with the Extreme Sailing Series and he was clearly thrilled with his first hand experience:
Jim Hagemann: "They are a great group of guys we have on our SAP Extreme Sailing Team and it was a huge pleasure to sail with them as the 'fifth man' on the days first race; we scored a 3rd place, which was great! I am more than confident of placing our customers in their hands"
Jonas Hviid Nielsen: "That was great sailing with Jim – he is a cool bloke and if he ever gets tired of his job as CEO at SAP he is more than welcome as a part of the team."
The final act of the series' 2nd day of racing consisted of 8 races and SAP Extreme Sailing Team recorded results of: 3,7,6,6,3,7,4,4, which gives a combined 6th place so far in the event.
Jes Gram-Hansen: "It was another day of yoyo-ing up and down the fleet for all the competitors, but we are happy to be perform more consistently and have avoided any last places today unlike a number of other crews. However we are still missing the first places we earned yesterday.
Wind strength was unstable, anything between calm and 6-8 knots, which made things very changeable in the short races (race duration is approximately 8-12 minutes).