Pulling out all the stops in front of massive crowds on the River Neva, McMillan and his triumphant crew of Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh, Ed Smyth and Nasser Al Mashari started the day with a win and kept the pressure on right up to the end.
A sixth place in the penultimate race was enough to secure them the Russia title which was fortunate since they incurred a penalty for starting early in the final race. Their overall win was a resounding one, with second placed Lino Sonego Team Italia trailing by 18 points.
It was one of their finest wins this year, said a delighted McMillan who first won the Extreme Sailing Series in 2012 then retained the title the following year, and edges them one step closer to winning the title for the third time.
“Everything seemed to go our way from the moment we arrived and it felt good,” said McMillan.
“It doesn’t often happen like that and it has been a long time since everything clicked in the way it has in Russia so yes, I would say this was the best event so far this year for us.
“But there are still two events to go this year in Istanbul and Sydney so we are not getting carried away but this has been a game changer and if we keep on sailing well and confidently, it would be fantastic to win a third title.”
Their success comes on the back of wins in Cardiff in June and Hamburg last month and reflects a lot of hard work and a growing confidence, said Al Mashari.
“The win in Cardiff was important for us and we have been a lot more confident and relaxed since then which has been reflected in our performances and results. But we are happy with this result. Very happy and proud to add another win for Oman.”
Oman Air finished in fifth place after a day of mixed fortunes which included a win in the second race and a string of fourth places. It left them nine points off the podium but served as a valuable learning experience, said skipper Stevie Morrison.
“We are sailing well and had we pulled off something special in the last double points race, could have finished on the podium because it was very tight between third and sixth. But it wasn’t to be this time even though we tried our best.”
“Our teamwork is good and we loved this venue because it was such a challenge with the light winds and strong currents but experience pays in this sort of racing and we are still a relatively new team so we are already looking ahead to Istanbul and making plans.”
The next event in the 2015 Extreme Sailing Series takes place in Istanbul from October 1-4.
