Light Tricky Conditions keep the Fleet Tight at Act 7 Opener
Day one of Act 7 of the penultimate event of the Extreme Sailing Series and J.P. Morgan BAR opened well, winning the first race of the day and finishing third in the second. It was a great start – and while the team struggled to hold that form through the middle of the day in lighter and more fickle conditions – they went on to consolidate, made the gains they needed, and brought it home tidily in the final races.
Bowman, Matt Cornwell, summed up the first day, “It was very tricky, very light and very easy to put yourself in situations where you’re looking to be in the top three, and then very quickly you can be in the bottom three, so it’s very difficult to get those calls right.
The J.P. Morgan BAR Extreme 40 racing in Nice (C) Lloyd images
“I think it was the same for everyone and there’s a lot of teams out there that looked frustrated with today’s racing but actually I think we’re all on similar points and it’s all very tight, as per normal at these events.”
J.P. Morgan BAR 5th Man, Bleddyn Mon, continued “I think the most positive thing was that when we didn’t get ourselves into difficult situations we were up there and we had good boat speed. When we kept it simple and made had starts, we were finishing within the top five.
“Tomorrow condition wise it will be quite similar, we got a lot of races in today and that will be the plan tomorrow too. But, there’s a long way to go, probably around a quarter of the races done, a lot more to go but we are positive with today’s start.”
J.P. Morgan BAR Skipper, Ben Ainslie, at today's opening press conference (C) Lloyd images
Although the day was consistently light it was still eventful with a penalty in race three, followed by a pre-start collision with Alinghi, which left the team with boat damage and a night of repair work.
After the first day the team sit in fifth over and Sailing Team Manager, Jono Macbeth, is confident there are good opportunities for the team from the rest of the week. “I think it was a really good day and a strong day for us – we were a little up and down and inconsistent with our results, but it paid off in the end.
“Overall the top of the fleet is really tight on points but, it’s early days, I think everyone is in there with a shot after day one.”
The racing in France will be streamed live, with commentary, on www.jpmorganbarblog.com from tomorrow until Sunday. The action will also be broadcast live on Canal + sport.
For all the latest J.P.Morgan BAR news and updates follow; @JPMorganBAR.
Full J.P. Morgan BAR Act 7, Nice, Team list:
Skipper – Ben Ainslie
Tactician – Paul Campbell-James
Bowman – Matt Cornwell
Trimmer – Nick Hutton
Fifth Man – Bleddyn Mon
Jono Macbeth
Johnny Mourdant
Ian McCabe
Simon Daubney
Alex Hopson
Extreme Sailing Series™ 2014 overall standings
Position / Team / Points
1st Realteam by Realstone (SUI)
2nd Gazprom Team Russia (RUS)
3rd Groupama sailing team (FRA)
4th GAC Pindar (AUS)
5th J.P. Morgan BAR (GBR)
6th Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL)
7th Alinghi (SUI)
8th The Wave, Muscat (OMA)
9th Oman Air (OMA)
10th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT)
11th SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN)
Notes:
Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) was conceived in 2011 by four times Olympic gold medalist and 34th America’s Cup winner, Sir Ben Ainslie, with the long-term aim of challenging for Britain and bringing the America’s Cup back home to where it all began in 1851.
Ben will develop and lead a British entry capable of winning the prestigious trophy, something Britain has so far never managed to achieve.
At the start of 2014 the team also turned their focus to the Extreme Sailing Series (ESS) competing in a 40-foot catamaran on the international circuit. The team is backed in their Extreme Sailing Series campaign by J.P. Morgan.
http://jpmorganbarblog.com
11TH HOUR RACING, INC. (Sustainability Partner)
11th Hour Racing Incorporated was developed to create a new model of sailing sponsorship for winning teams powered by sustainable practices that support the health of our oceans. 11th Hour Racing aims to increase our understanding of the oceans, find solutions to the problems that damage or destroy our marine resources, and promote stewardship and sustainable use of the seas that sustain life on our planet.
www.team11thHourRacing.com
Official J.P. Morgan BAR Extreme Sailing Series Suppliers
Henri Lloyd (Technical clothing supplier); http://www.henrilloyd.com/
Scorpion Ribs (Support boats); http://www.scorpionribs.com
SOS Rehydrate (Medical drinks); http://sosrehydrate.com
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