Extreme Sailing Series: Leigh McMillan storms home to win fourth regatta of the series

The Wave are in the lead at the half way point

Stuart Alexander
Sunday 21 June 2015 17:22 BST
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Hey-ho and up she rises but Red Bull managed to avoid capsizing when caught by a gust on the final day of the Extreme Sailing Series in Cardiff
Hey-ho and up she rises but Red Bull managed to avoid capsizing when caught by a gust on the final day of the Extreme Sailing Series in Cardiff

Leigh McMillan, with double Olympic gold medallist tactician Sarah Ayton, stormed home to an impressive win in the fourth regatta of the Extreme Sailing Series in Cardiff, putting The Wave, Muscat back in the lead at the half way point of the eight-event 2015 series.

The champions of 2013 and 2014 have just a one-point margin over Denmark’s SAP and are three points ahead of Austria’s Red Bull as the guest appearance of America’s Cup campaigner Chris Draper pushed GAC Pindar up to fourth.

Draper, also an Olympic bronze medallist, is not on the team sheet for the next regatta in Hamburg next month, when he will be concentrating on his new role of sailing director and wing trimmer for the newly announced Japanese America’s Cup challenger Softbank.

The 32 races staged over four days were nearly all sailed in testing, breezy conditions tiring for the crews with one of the Team Turx men thrown overboard on the final day and Red Bull teetering on the brink of a capsize.

In Torquay, all 39 boats in the Solitaire du Figaro were safely away on the final leg to Dieppe, but first had to round Land’s End on a course shortened to 470 miles.

Cardiff Extreme Series placings:

The Wave, Muscat 268pts

Red Bull 250

SAP 245

GAC Pindar 232

Gazprom 213

Oman Air 193

Team Turx 173

Lino Sonego 144

Overall after four regattas:

The Wave, Muscat 37

SAP 36

Red Bull 34

Gazprom 24

Oman Air 23

GAC Pindar 21

Team Turx 19

Lino Sonego 14

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