Ex40 racing pauses for a thunderstorm

Storm clouds over Singapore….                                                       picture Mark Lloyd

 

Light winds and an interruption for a thunderstorm marked the start overnight of the Extreme Sailing Series regatta at Singapore.

Two races were held then, as the clouds darkened, the fleet was brought into the dock until the threatening thunderstorm passed over.

Lightening struck twice nearby as the crews sheltered. Racing resumed after 90 minutes. Dean Barker said the weather pattern that brought the storm is likely to be repeated for the next few days.

Barker and crew James Dagg, Glenn Ashby and Jeremy Lomas returned to series for the final regatta of the 2011 season. They had not raced together in the Extreme 40 catamaran since the second regatta of 2011 at Qingdao, China, in April.

Since then, their priority has been the America’s Cup World Series regattas and Emirates Team New Zealand’s sailing crew have been rotated through the Extreme Sailing Series.

The ESS competition has got tougher in their absence, as Dean Barker noted. “Very tight courses and some very competitive boats…. there is no question that every time I come back to the series  the fleet seems to have got better, so it’s really challenging.

“We’ve had a pretty tough day… we didn’t read it well. And didn’t get the starts we wanted.”

Five races were held in light and shifty breeze and heavy rain on the first day at Singapore. Emirates Team New Zealand’s finishes – 4,3,3,5 and 7 – was enough to secure fourth in the ranking at the end of the day.

1  Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT) 45 points
2  Luna Rossa (ITA) 39 points
3 Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA) 37 points
4  Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 29 points

5  Oman Air (OMA) 27 points
6  Team GAC Pindar (GBR) 22 points
7  The Wave, Muscat (OMA) 22 points
8  Alinghi (SUI) 21 points

9  Team TILT (SUI) 18 points
10 Team Extreme – the first club™  15 points