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The NZL Sailing Team picked up some improved results during the penultimate day of racing at the Extreme Sailing Series in Oman overnight (NZ time).
(Photo: Extreme Sailing Series)
The team of young Kiwis showed better speed on the third day of racing but still sit in ninth overall on 105 points. Their best result among the day's nine races was a sixth-placed finish but they were frustrated by their downwind performance.
“There was more breeze today [than yesterday] but it was still quite light,” bowman Luca Brown said. “Our starts and tactics were way better and we achieved some better results. We got ourselves into some good positions but we're losing on the downwinds so need to fix the gybes and moding downwind so we can finish off races.
“The team are finding the losses hard because we have high expectations and are getting ourselves into races but not finishing them off. But the whole thing is invaluable for our Youth America’s Cup campaign in terms of racing experience and team culture.”
It was also frustrating at times for Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron team Tawera Racing, who won their third race of the regatta but also scored four last-placed finishes, two of which were caused by getting caught on racing marks.
“When we put the pieces together we’re super competitive – we can beat any of the teams here,” said skipper Chris Steele. “But it just seems like when one mistake happens it snowballs into another and another and it’s very hard to turn it around.
“At the moment we’re all or nothing – we’re either winning races or we’re six or seventh or worse. Tomorrow is another day and we’ve just got to go back to basics and try to keep putting some low scores on the board.”
Danish crew SAP Extreme Sailing Team, helmed by Kiwi Adam Minoprio, did that the best on day three and they will take a narrow one-point lead over Oman Air, helmed by New Zealand’s Phil Robertson, into the final day of racing.
The overall lead changed hands seven times in an exciting day of racing and only four points separate the top three teams. Defending series champions Alinghi are in third.
With one more day of racing to go, including the final double points-scoring race, a monumental battle for the first Act win of the 2017 season is guaranteed.
Extreme Sailing Series Act 1, Muscat standings after Day 3, 21 races
Position / Team / Points
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Adam Minoprio, Rasmus Køstner, Mads Emil Stephensen, Hervé Cunnigham, Richard Mason 208 points.
2nd Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari 207 points.
3rd Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 204 points.
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller 185 points.
5th Team Tilt (SUI) Sebastien Schneiter, Jéremy Bachelin, Nils Theuninck, Arthur Cevey, Jocelyn Keller 171 points.
6th Team ENGIE (FRA) Sébastien Rogues, Gurvan Bontemps, Jules Bidegaray, Antoine Joubert, Benjamin Amiot 164 points.
7th Tawera Racing (NZL) Chris Steele, Graeme Sutherland, Shane Diviney, Leonard Takahashi Fry, Josh Salthouse 144 points.
8th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Will Alloway, Adam Kay, Oli Greber 125 points.
9th NZL Sailing Team (NZL) Logan Dunning Beck, Harry Hull, Isaac McHardie, Matthew Kempkers, Luca Brown 105 points.
