Red Bull Sailing clinch historic victory in Singapore
Austria’s Red Bull Sailing Team secured overall victory on the final day of the Extreme Sailing Series 2015 Act 1 in Singapore. Reinforced with young talent from the Red Bull Youth America´s Cup, double Olympic champions Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher came out on top on the last of the 32 races to edge past SAP Sailing (Denmark) and favorites The Wave Muscat, who finished third.
SINGAPORE – With six race wins and ten further podium spots, Red Bull Sailing mastered the difficult wind conditions to beat the competition over four days with skipper Roman Hagara, tactician Hans Peter Steinacher, helmsman Jason Waterhouse (AUS), trimmer Stewart Dodson (NZL) and bowman Shaun Mason (GBR)grabbing their maiden win in the world’s best-staffed sailing series.
„It is the combined force of our experience and the youthful exuberance of the three guys. We did not expect for this constellation to bear fruit that quickly. So we are even happier,“ a beaming tactician Steinacher said in Singapore in front of thousands of fans.
Together with skipper Hagara, Steinacher helped launch the Red Bull Youth America´s Cup in 2013 to develop new sailing talent.
„Now we have them on our Extreme 40 project. The regatta was extremely hard and exhausting for all of us. With the shifting conditions, the extremely humid heat between these skyscrapers, it was the best tactics coupled with teamwork that made the difference.“
Red Bull Sailing were dominant in Singapore, recording the highest average speed, the highest downwind speed and the fewest maneuvers.
Now it is all about maintaining this stellar form going into Act 2 of the series, on March 11-14 in Muscat (Oman) with Red Bull Sailing leaving immediately for a five-day training camp in Thailand.
Final standings, Singapore (after 32 races): 1. Red Bull Sailing 232 points, 2. SAP Extreme Sailing Team 227/DEN, 3. The Wave Muscat 220/Oman, 4. GAZPROM Sailing 213/RUS, 5. Oman Air 198/Oman, 6. GAC Pindar 182/GBR, 7. Lino Sonego Team Italia 180/ITA, 8. Beko Team Turx 166/TUR, 9. Team Aberdeen 156/SIN
Teams and skipper: GAC Pindar (AUS/GBR) – Steve Jarvin (AUS), Gazprom Team Russia (RUS) – Igor Lisovenko (RUS), Team Italia (ITA) – Lorenzo Bressani (ITA), Oman Air (OMA) – Stevie Morrison (GBR), Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) – Roman Hagara (AUT), SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) – Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN), Team Turx (TUR) – Edhem Dirvana (TUR), The Wave, Muscat (OMA) – Leigh McMillan (GBR), Team Aberdeen (SIN) – Nick Moloney (AUS)