Ecover put in an outstanding performance today with two bullets to secure them fourth overall at the first event of the Extreme Sailing Series in Sete France.

Ecover put in an outstanding performance today with two bullets to secure them fourth overall at the first event of the Extreme Sailing Series in Sete France.

It was solid performance today by Ecover as they went out fighting on the final day of racing. Conditions built throughout the day and by race four the race committee called for the 5th man to come off during what was expected to be the penultimate race of the day (20th race of the event). Ecover made a strong start hulls flying as they took control and moved into first at the top mark. From there on they extended in clear air and took a commanding lead. The rest of the fleet were bunched up at the second mark with penalties handed out to Oman Masirah and The Wave Muscat and they were forced to play catch up. It was to be Ecover’s race and they crossed the line with time to spare as the rest of the fleet fought it out for the remaining places. A crash gybe from Groupama resulted in them being caught at the back of the fleet and into eighth and tied for fourth place overall with Ecover. Shortly after race 20, the race committee deemed it too dangerous to continue racing and the previous race was allotted double points, this meant 16 points for Ecover and a solid fourth place on the leaderboard just 3 points shy of the podium.

“A great day for us on the water, we’re very pleased to be able to finish on a win and on a double pointer,” commented Ecover skipper Mike Golding after racing. “It has moved us into fourth spot which is a great result for us. We knew we had the ability to deliver the performance we delivered today, after yesterday we sat down and talked through the issues that we had experienced during the previous days racing and went out with a very clear strategy. Everything came together on the boat and we got it right today, I’m so pleased for the team, and i think this is a fantastic start to the season for us".

Final Day Review
The final day in Sete looked set for a thrilling day of racing for the eight international teams. Conditions were forcast to between 20 – 25 knots with gusts of up to 40. The Ecover Sailing Team went out fighting today, they knew fourth place was within their grasp but they needed consistent top three results and to keep the pressure on Groupama all day.

By the afternoon conditions had dropped and infamous Mistral Wind had yet to appear, racing got underway in moderate conditions. Ecover made good tactical calls throughout the day sticking to their strategy and putting pressure on the top end of the fleet. A frustrating first race saw Ecover caught in the middle of the pack fighting for clear air and forced to settle for sixth place. But everything fell into place from race two, which saw them jump four places after the final mark as they headed into more pressure and slipped in front of Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and Oman Marisah who were becalmed as they approached the line, to see Ecover take second place and a valuable seven points on the leaderboard. Race three saw commanding sailing from the British team, they lead from the start and extended at every mark, the chasing fleet worked hard to close the gap, but they remained in control and took their first win of the season and their first win since Cowes Week in 2009.

Race four was a close fought battle as the top teams knew that every point would count in order to secure a spot on the podium. The frequent gusts of wind made challenging driving for the guys at the back of the boat, as they were hit by gusts of over 25 knots on the race course. Both Ecover and The Wave Muscat were hit by two massive gusts with both crews holding on and bringing the boat under control again.
Groupe Edmond de Rothschild managed to once again dominate this race in the challenging conditions and secure another bullet extending their overall lead as the fleet headed into the final races.

With the breeze building Ecover put in a stellar performance on the final race of the day, taking a clear bullet and a crucial 16 points to raise them to fourth place with 98 points overall, just 3 points from a spot on the podium. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild manage to hold off the chasing pack to take second and Oman Sail Masirah took third, ensuring second place overall above their team mates on The Wave Muscat.

The next event on the circuit is Cowes, with a full week of racing kicking off on Saturday 31st July. It will home turf for the British Ecover Sailing Team who will be looking to capitilise on their local knowledge and secure a place on the podium.

“Its been building since we started racing on Thursday, we have come so close to getting a bullet and it was a great feeling to secure that first win today. It really fires the team up and from then on everything just seem to fit into place and we put in more consistent performances and another bullet, which secured us fourth place. All of us have bonded as a team and, its fantastic finish for us. This sets us up for the rest of the year and I think shows that we have the potential to be a threat to the other teams so watch out for Ecover! As a team we’re very happy and we’re now going to head back to the UK, put some more training in on the water and focus on getting a podium result on our home turf at the next event in Cowes”. Leigh McMillan Ecover Helm.

Overall leaderboard Event 1 – Sete, France
Groupe Edmond de Rothschild - 131
Oman Sail Masirah - 116
The Wave Muscat - 101
Ecover Sailing Team - 98
Groupama 40 - 91
The Ocean Racing Club - 81
Red Bull Extreme Sailing - 81
Team GAC Pindar - 55

 Source & for more information: www.ecoversailingteam.com