Oman Air on the rise despite tricky conditions

30th, April 2016

Larson and Oman Air were alone in posting two race victories at Extreme Sailing Series Act 2 –

MUSCAT: The breeze in Qingdao returned to its baffling best on the second day of the Extreme Sailing Series Act 2 creating four different winners from five races, including Oman Sail’s GC32 Oman Air.

Reading the constant shifts in wind direction and strength proved to be the biggest challenge of the day for the eight crews on Fushan Bay and none of them mastered completely the variations and deviations though Morgan Larson and Oman Air were alone in posting two race victories.

Mixed up with a few off-the-podium finishes, these wins put Oman Air in third place overall on the leaderboard, eight points behind joint leaders Alinghi and Sail Portugal. With two days of racing left, this was a healthy and happy position to be in, commented Larson.

“It was not the day we set out for but we are still happy,” he said.

“It was very challenging sailing inside the marina in such a confined place in these conditions. We were up and down but all in all, we were only two or three points from having the best day of any of the teams.

“We missed a few opportunities but everyone sailed well. The team did a super job and worked well together and we were feeling really confident. We did not put forward our best day – there was some skill and some luck out there and we just have to capitalise a bit more tomorrow.”

Oman Air started Act 2 in China as favourites to win after their resounding victory in the opening round in Muscat, Oman. This opening success was all the more notable given a major change in squad for the 2016 season, with Larson and James Wierzbowski coming in for Leigh McMillan and Sarah Ayton, previously on Oman Sail’s The Wave, Muscat with Pete Greenhalgh, Nasser Al Mashari and Ed Smyth.

The change to foiling GC32s also caused minimal disruption to a winning habit in the Extreme Sailing Series that has seen a team from Oman Sail crowned Extreme Sailing Series champions on three occasions. With Pete, Nasser and Ed, inspirational power dynamos, in place as the core of Oman Air they were confident of continuing their strong tradition, according to Larson.

“Tomorrow, we will continue doing what we are doing now and it will come our way,” he said. “We will not be changing a thing.”

The breeze had been challenging but not surprising, added Omani bowman Al Mashari. “We have sailed a lot on this race course with the Extreme 40s. It is normal for us to experience these difficulties because the wind is so shifty; it is up and down and difficult for everyone. We are in 3rd place, eight points behind the leaders with two more days to go. Hopefully, there will be a more constant breeze tomorrow so we can do better than today.”