Extreme Sailing Series update, day 1 of Qingdao event presents light conditions and tactical racing

From the following press release on the Extreme Sailing Series website:

http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/testing-light-winds-on-day-one-as-the-home-team-make-best-ever-debut-by-an#.U2KD0q-KDrc

- Start line collision between Oman Air and GAC Pindar see the Omani team knocked out before racing even begun and with a long night of repairs in the pitlane ahead.
- Team Extreme Qingdao has best ever start for a home nation invitational team, challenging the more experienced crews to finish day one in third place.
- Alinghi dominate in the testing conditions, staking an early 14-point lead over second placed The Wave, Muscat.
- Series Main Partner Land Rover strengthens its commitment to the Extreme Sailing Series™ with the new Above and Beyond Award. Read more here.

Racing began in China’s Olympic sailing city today at the Land Rover, Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 3 Qingdao, for the ‘Double Star Mingren’ Cup, where five different race winners emerged from the eight races sailed, in a day that saw the fleet struggle for consistency and the leaderboard reshuffle after every race. On the open water racecourse, the Swiss team Alinghi dominated in testing light winds and strong tide, to edge ahead on the leaderboard at the end of day. But it was the local boat, Team Extreme Qingdao, who will be grabbing the headlines tonight after an outstanding debut performance sees the team in third place at the end of day one - the best ever performance by a home nation invitational team.

Unfortunately for Oman Air, their day was over before it had a chance to begin, after a collision with GAC Pindar in the start line tussle of the first race left the team with severe damage to their port hull, forcing them back to the pit lane. Rob Greenhalgh, skipper of Oman Air - who has welcomed the talents of America’s Cup winner Kyle Langford to the team this week - explained what happened: “Just after the start of the first race, GAC Pindar tacked onto port and misjudged the dip on us and T-boned us pretty hard – we have a pretty big hole in the side of the boat. These things happen unfortunately. The shore guys will work hard tonight and get the boat ready for racing tomorrow. We will lick our wounds and be back. It’s a disappointment – we were pumped to race.”  The team will be given a redress and will likely be awarded average points from their races over the next two days by the international jury.

read more here