Oman Air’s GC32 crew will be banking on local support over the next two days of racing to sustain their excellent start to the 2016 Extreme Sailing Series after another near perfect day in Muscat which saw them stretch their lead at the top of the table.

Morgan Larson’s newly formed crew, put together for the 2016 season to get the best out of the Extreme Sailing Series’ new GC32 foiling catamarans, looked like a well-oiled machine as they won two out of three races on a day shortened by a lack of wind.

After the first day, where they kicked off their 2016 campaign with four wins from six races on the race track at Muttrah (Old Town Muscat), the local crew showed they can perform on any course when they shifted to Al Mouj Golf Course, 20kms down the Oman coast and immediately took a second place in the opening race.

There followed two outright wins before race director Phil Lawrence was forced to abandon racing when the breeze died but by then Oman Air had stretched their lead over SAP Racing Team to 14 points going into the third day.

And with a weekend crowd to get behind them, Oman Air bowman Nasser Al Mashari is hopeful they can stretch that lead further.

“I think Oman Air is becoming a very good team,” he said. “We are all very relaxed and everyone knows what they are doing. Our boat handling and thinking ahead is good and that is what it takes to be successful.

“We are doing well so far and it makes us proud to be able to perform in front of family and friends. Tomorrow is the weekend so I hope lots of Omanis come and support us and Oman Sail and our sponsors Oman Air so we can show the rest of the world what we are trying to achieve.”

Al Mashari is a proven winner in high performance multihulls with both Extreme 40 and GC32 trophies in his collection while his fellow bowman and board operator, James Wierzbowski is new to Oman Air, although not to foiling and not to the Extreme Sailing Series. He is enjoying the new challenge.

“This new Oman Air team is great and I couldn’t be happier,” said the 24-year-old Australian who came up through the ranks in Nacra 17s, 49ers and Extreme 40s.

“A happy team is a fast team and everything on Oman Air is coming together well so results are going exactly as we hoped.”

The fleet remains on the stadium race track off the Al Mouj Golf Course for the next two days with more than 15 races scheduled.