Oman Air skipper Ben Ainslie excited to grab early lead at 2011 Extreme Sailing Series Act 8: Day 1
Despite a low forecast at the port of Almeria, the 11-boat Extreme 40 fleet completed four scheduled races and Oman Air skipper, Ben Ainslie and crew members, Kinley Fowler, David Carr and Nasser Al Mashari were excited to grab an early lead on the opening
day at 2011 Extreme Sailing Series Act 8. Oman Air clinched two race victories out of four to finish the day on top of the standings with 39 points.
Ainslie has joined the Extreme Sailing Series circuit for the last three events, skippering Oman Air. The three-time Olympic gold medallist in Finn class, Ainslie, reckoned that the winds were tough for an ideal sail but their team did a great job in the
end to hit the first podium spot.
Speaking to the media, the Briton said, “It was really tough conditions today. We normally like to have more wind so for everyone it was hard, but we did well and the harbour of Almería is fantastic. The team was great in very difficult conditions. To make
this work you need to plan ahead, to have good communication and the guys I am sailing with on Oman Air are fantastic.”
The 34-year-old added, “When conditions are like this it’s all about trying to keep the boat moving and looking for the best piece of wind. The wind is more important than where you are heading, so we try to head for the best wind patches.”
Following are the overall Extreme Sailing Series Act 8 standings after four races:
1. Oman Air (OMA), Ben Ainslie, Kinley Fowler, David Carr, Nasser Al Mashari = 39 points
2. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA), Pierre Pennec, Christophe Espagnon, Thierry Fouchier, Hervé Cunningham = 31 points
3. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Adam Beashel, Ray Davies, Jeremy Lomas, Derek Seward = 30 points
4. Team GAC Pindar (GBR), Ian Williams, Mischa Heemrskerk, Andrew Walsh, Brad Webb = 30 points
5. Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT), Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matt Adams, Craig Monk = 28 points
6. Luna Rossa (ITA), Max Sirena, Paul Campbell-James, Alister Richardson, Manuel Modena = 26 points
7. Niceforyou (ITA), Alberto Barovier, Stefano Rizzi, Daniele De Luca, Simone de Mari = 20 points
8. The Wave, Muscat (OMA), Leigh McMillan, Kyle Langford, Nick Hutton, Khamis Al Anbouri = 18 points
9. Alinghi (SUI), Tanguy Cariou, Yann Guichard, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey = 14 points
10. Team TILT (SUI), Alex Schneiter, Boet Brinkgreve, Charles Favre, Nicolas Heintz = 14 points
11. Team Extreme (EUR), Roland Gaebler, Nahid Gaebler, Antón Paz, Tom Buggy = 13 points
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