Things are hotting up in Muscat – hear what the teams have to say
The teams have spent the last two days in Muscat, fine-tuning the brand new fleet of GC32s and getting in some last minute training, ahead of tomorrow’s 2016 curtain raiser. Here is the lowdown on how the teams have been getting on, from the crew themselves.
Tuesday 15th March 2016
Photo credit: Samo Vidic
The teams have spent the last two days in Muscat, fine-tuning the brand new fleet of GC32s and getting in some last minute training, ahead of tomorrow’s 2016 curtain raiser. Here is the lowdown on how the teams have been getting on, from the crew themselves.
Stevie Morrison, co-skipper and helm of Team Turx
“At this point it certainly doesn’t seem as though any one team is hugely dominant and the newer teams that you might have thought would be nearer the back are actually mixing it up, which is exciting.”
Craig Monk, team principal and chief executive officer of CHINA One
“The Extreme Sailing Series is the ultimate start to our sailing journey. It has all the elements that represent the highest level in our sport. We are looking forward to testing ourselves against the best in the world.”
Roman Hagara, skipper for Red Bull Sailing Team
“The energy around the first regatta of the season is always special, but adding foiling to the mix is going to take it to the next level. When these GC32s rise off the water, they’re spectacular to watch – and this will be the first chance to find out how they’ll perform in a stadium format.”
Bernardo Freitas, headsail trimmer for Sail Portugal
“This is the first chance we have had to sail together as a full team. The conditions have been good for us as they have allowed us to get used to the boat. We have been sailing well, winning a couple of the training races but coming further down the fleet for others. For everyone I think it is a mixed bag.”
Jes Gram-Hansen, co-skipper and helm for SAP Extreme Sailing Team
“Muscat has been a different scenario to what we experienced in Dubai during the training as we have had lighter winds. As there has been less foiling so far, there has been a lot to learn about sailing the boats in displacement mode. I think it will be fairly even between the teams, a few of the new teams are sailing very well with some very good sailors on board.”
Morgan Larson, skipper and helm for Oman Air
“I wouldn’t say we were setting the world on fire but internally it’s going very well, we’re getting to know each other and getting the boat dialed in. We have a lot of work to do but it’s a good starting point, we can’t rest on any laurels of how we did in the Extreme 40s, this is quite different, so we have had to get back to the basics of learning.”
I am excited about the coastal race tomorrow. I think it will present some new challenges from a navigational perspective and it presents a good, long, straight line for the teams to compare our speeds. During the training races over the last couple of days we have been around middle of the pack.”
Land Rover BAR Academy has now confirmed the full crew to race in the coastal race tomorrow. Previously confirmed crewmembers; Bleddyn Môn, Leigh McMillan and Ed Smyth, will be joined by Academy trialists Adam Kay and Neil Hunter. The team have used the training days to try out different combinations of crew, with an under 25 team taking to the water during the practice races showing promising results.
