The third act of the Extreme Sailing Series, a series of stadium-format races on GC32 winged catamarans, concluded on 2 July in Madeira. SAP Extreme Sailing Team became the champion of the stage. This is the Danish team's second win in the current edition of the Extreme Sailing Series. SAP Extreme also won the first round held in Muscat. The Danes are now only one point behind the series leaders and the defenders of the title - Swiss Alinghi.
SAP Extreme succeeded in taking the lead on the first day of the Madeira race despite a disappointing setback in the first race.
«We made a big mistake in the first race. We heard the course information wrong on the radio and thought we had two laps whereas we only had one," said SAP Extreme helmsman Adam Minoprio. - The rest of the day went very well for us».
Alinghi, who had won the previous leg of the regatta, finished the first day in third place, also behind the New Zealanders.
The second day saw an even tougher battle between the seven teams competing in the Extreme Sailing Series. SAP Extreme's main competition was Phil Robertson's Oman Air, which has not dropped below second place in the last six races. SAP Extreme had to go all out to retain the lead and the team managed to do so as the Danes took the podium in six races, winning three of them. SAP Extreme's tactician Rasmus Kostner promised to thoroughly analyze the SAP race statistics and work on the mistakes.
Oman Air's success allowed the reigning Extreme Sailing Series champions Alinghi to take only third place. Team co-driver Arnaud Psarofagis said that Alinghi's main problem was poor starts that left them struggling to catch up.
On the third day there was only one race, because Madeira was caught in a changeable weather with winds blowing in opposite directions. The Swiss team stayed in third place, while Oman Air came in second and SAP Extreme in first.
«It's good that there was only one race. The conditions were really tough, we could have given the opponents too many extra points»," admitted Adam Minoprio, SAP Extreme's skipper.
The severity of the wind conditions was very well illustrated by the Red Bull Sailing Team capsize. The guys capsized before the start and damaged their catamaran, which prevented them from participating in the race.
«We didn't plan it," said Red Bull helmsman Roman Hagara. - It was our first race downwind with a spinnaker and foils. The rudder blade suddenly rattled and the boat turned upwind on its own».
On the final day, Red Bull Sailing Team managed to rehabilitate themselves after capsize by winning two races, including the last race in which the points for prizes are doubled.
SAP Extreme Sailing Team managed to keep their lead despite strong competition from Alinnghi. The Swiss managed to displace Oman Air from second place, but could not catch up with the Danes. SAP Extreme not only won the third leg of the Extreme Sailing Series but also won the Zhik Speed Machine Trophy for the highest top speed of 24.5 knots.
