Once again it was a sunrise start for the fleet, with the race management making the decision to race early to make the most of the morning breeze. The wind didn’t disappoint this morning, with 10 knots of breeze making for some of the best racing the fleet has had in Nice, however it didn’t hold out for this afternoon, and the teams found themselves racing in only 4 knots of wind. Leigh McMillan, The Wave, Muscat’s Skipper reflected on the challenging conditions Nice has thrown at them. “The first race this afternoon took 37 minutes, on a day with good breeze we could easily sail this course in five minutes! That just shows how light the winds are and it has been the same all week. We have struggled to master the light winds but we have definitely learnt a lot and it will help us for the rest of the Series.”
The Wave, Muscat had a great start to the day, scoring a second and two fourths, and continued there good form throughout the day, only having one result out of the top five, their best day of the event. The team finishes the event in Nice in ninth place.
It was a frustrating case of déjà vu for Oman Air today, who had a strong start to the day, scoring a second and third in the first two races. However, a penalty in race five as they approached the finish line resulted in an eleventh place in that race, as the teams Bowman Nasser Al Mashari explained: “We were right at the front of the fleet in that race when we were given the penalty. The umpires thought we were in the way of the other boats, and there decision is final. Every point counts so we were a bit frustrated after that, but overall I have really enjoyed my first time sailing in Nice.”
The team showed great reliance however, and came back strong, going on to win not only the final race of the day, but the final race of the event. Ben Ainslie, the teams Skipper commented: “It’s good to finish the event with a win, but overall we aren’t happy with the results and we would like to be further up the leaderboard. The team did really well to pull themselves back from the penalty and to go on and win that final race. It was a really strong team effort. ” Oman Air finish the event in Nice is fifth place.
The French team on Groupe Edmond de Rothschild led going into the final day, and the teams performance was unwavering, posting wins in the first two races of the day, which ultimately saw them crowned victors of the Extreme Sailing Series Nice. This is the second act win for the French team, a feat only achieved by one other boat this series – The Wave, Muscat, who claimed victory in the previous two events in Cowes, UK and Trapani, Italy.
The win for the team on their home waters has also seen them claim the top of the overall Series leaderboard, knocking Luna Rossa (ITA) to second. The Wave, Muscat sit fourth overall, two points behind the Kiwi’s on Emirates Team New Zealand. Oman Air remain in eighth place.
In each venue the Series visits, the team sets out to engage local children in the event, and during the event in Nice, a group of 10 local children have been out sailing in their Optimist dinghies – each named after an Extreme 40 team. Khamis commented: “It’s great to see the kids out sailing and with The Wave, Muscat on their boats! It is fantastic to have the opportunity to learn to sail at a young age, just as we are offering to the young Omani’s back home.”
For the third event this Series, Oman Sail have had their Omani Majilis on show for the public in Nice, with traditional coffee and beautiful henna designs available, providing an authentic Omani experience for the French crowds. Oman Sail have been working hard to promote Oman in key European markets during the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series, including the UK, Italy and now France, as part of their aim to promote the Sultanate as a unique tourist destination.
In just over a weeks time the teams will travel along the Mediterranean coast to Almeria in Spain, for the penultimate event of the 2011 Series, for five days of racing between the 12th-16th October. The Series concludes in Singapore in December, and with only two events remaining, everyone’s focus is now on the overall Series results.
