Extreme Sailing Series™ crews predict Qingdao thriller on eve of Act 2

“It's going to be exciting, that's for sure”. That's One skipper Taylor Canfield's prediction for Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ as he prepares to face the notorious weather conditions that Qingdao famously has to offer.

Thursday 28th April 2016

“It’s going to be exciting, that’s for sure”. That’s One skipper Taylor Canfield’s prediction for Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ as he prepares to face the notorious weather conditions that Qingdao famously has to offer. With racing set to start tomorrow the eight teams have been getting their first taste of what the waters of Fushan Bay can deliver.

Qingdao has hosted the Extreme Sailing Series five times previously and quickly established a reputation as one of the trickiest destinations to race in. With the metropolis’ sprawl of skyscrapers disrupting the wind, the teams have to contend with gusty conditions that can catch out even the best crews. And after one practice session, Canfield, a newcomer to Qingdao, is under no illusions as to the challenge ahead as the Extreme Sailing Series debuts its super-quick GC32 foiling catamarans at the venue for the first time.

“It’s my first time sailing here and it’s been an eye-opener – the wind is coming from the north and funnelling through the city, and we’ve had everything from zero knots to 22 knots,” Canfield said on the eve of Act 2. “There’s been some tricky sailing. We’ve been getting used to sailing the boat again and trying to work out what mode works best for these difficult conditions. “The wind is forecast to swing round to the south tomorrow so we could end up with some wavy, breezy conditions. “It should be exciting, that’s for sure.”

Defending Extreme Sailing Series champion Leigh McMillan has more experience of Qingdao than most having competed in the 2008 Olympics here as well as the past five Extreme Sailing Series.

One training session was enough to remind the Land Rover BAR Academy helmsman of what his crew of young development sailors will meet on the race course.

Land Rover BAR Academy scored an impressive third place in the season opener in Oman but a podium position in Qingdao is far from guaranteed. “Qingdao is a venue known for its extreme weather and even though today the conditions have been quite nice it’s still been very gusty,” McMillan said. “It’s a reminder of what to expect. We’re trying to find our feet and get used to the team line-up.

“Experience helps – we know what kind of conditions we’re going to get – but that doesn’t necessarily make things easier to deal with, just to anticipate. “For the team it’ll be about first-hand experience and adapting quickly. We’re looking forward to getting going and improving.

“We’re pretty relaxed going into racing and keen to keep learning.

“We weren’t expecting to get on the podium in Oman and we will have a fight on our hands to do it again here but if we can pass on as much knowledge as we can we will be in good shape.”

Phil Lawrence, Race Director of the Extreme Sailing Series, added: “Today we had a northerly wind coming off the city which made it very shifty and gusty. “We had 90 degree wind shifts and everything from five to 22 knots, making for very challenging sailing. “Tomorrow’s forecast is for a more stable southerly wind of about 20 knots which will be less gusty but the waves will be bigger.

“The learning curve is pretty steep in these boats and the sailors will have to adapt quickly, especially if the waves are big tomorrow. “For anyone watching it’s going to be a real spectacle.”

Racing begins at 1400 local time (0600 GMT) tomorrow and runs until Monday.