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New Zealand's Phil Robertson can seemingly do no wrong at the moment and last night (NZ time) won his third regatta in his last three starts.
Phil Robertson won his third regatta in three weeks. Photo: Extreme Sailing Series.
Robertson and his Oman Air team won the Barcelona leg of the Extreme Sailing Series, which came hard on the heels of his victory at the latest round of the World Match Racing Tour and his win at the M32 world championships, both in Sweden.
It was Oman Air's first act win of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series and they did it in style, sailing a flawless final race to cross the line with a mammoth lead of more than two minutes over closest rivals SAP Extreme Sailing Team.
The crowds lining the shore could hear the cheers coming from Oman Air’s GC32 as the team, last year’s runners up, celebrated topping the podium for the first time this season following a trio of thirds in the previous acts.
“We probably couldn’t have finished in a better way to be honest,” Robertson said. “It was a tough day out here and pretty tricky conditions - pretty light, lumpy and shifty as well. The key again was the starts. When the pressure was on, we delivered.”
Oman Air lead NZ Extreme Sailing Team into a mark. Photo: Extreme Sailing Series.
Kiwi sailors have been delivering throughout the series.
SAP Extreme Sailing Team, who are helmed by Kiwi Adam Minoprio and who also have Richard Mason on board, finished third overall in Barcelona but jumped to the top of the standings halfway through the series.
Three wins in six races saw Austria’s Red Bull Sailing Team, with Stewart Dodson and Will Tiller, claim second, and the all-Kiwi NZ Extreme Sailing Team, skippered by Chris Steele were fifth.
Alinghi’s hopes of a podium finish were quashed when they finished seventh in the final race, forcing the Swiss syndicate to settle for fourth place. It is the first time the team, co-skippered by Arnaud Psarofaghis, has missed the podium this season following a win in Qingdao and runners-up spots in Muscat and Madeira Islands.
Despite moving to the top of the overall standings, Minoprio said it was too soon in the season to start celebrating.
“It’s been a tough week for SAP Extreme Sailing Team, and thankfully we did just enough to scrape the podium,” he said. “Yes, we’re at the top of the overall leaderboard but we’re only just at the halfway mark of the Series. There’s plenty of racing still to come.”
The battle for the Extreme Sailing Series top spot will recommence in Hamburg, Germany, next month before the global stadium racing tour heads to Cardiff, UK, from August 25-28.
Standings after day 4 (22 races) of the Extreme Sailing Series in Barcelona this weekend:
1st: Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari - 233 points.
2nd: Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller - 227 points.
3rd: SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Køstner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason - 221 points.
4th: Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothé Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey - 214 points.
5th: NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Chris Steele, Graeme Sutherland, Harry Hull, Mike Bullot, Josh Salthouse - 191 points.
6th: Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Chris Taylor, Oli Greber, Will Alloway, Adam Kay - 190 points.
7th: FNOB Impulse (ESP) Jordi Xammar, Joan Cardona, Luis Bugallo, Kevin Cabrera, Florian Trittel - 159 points.
8th: Team Extreme (ESP) Mitch Booth, Alberto Torné, Jordi Sánchez, Jordi Booth, Tom Buggy -129 points.
Overall standings
1st SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 43 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) 43 points.
3rd Oman Air (OMA) 42 points.
4th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 37 points.
5th Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) 32 points.
6th NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) 31 points.
