After two days of racing, only 26 points separate the first from the last. That’s barely more than the number of points to be gained in the very last race on Sunday.
Act 7 is therefore shaping up to be the tightest of the season.
After an excellent day yesterday, Swiss skipper Jérôme Clerc managed to stay at the top of the standings on this second day of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Nice.
Spectators were numerous on the beach to follow the race, and the tension was palpable among the crews because everyone knows that this Act will be crucial for the final standings of the 2014 season. This evening, only 26 points separate the first from the last.
That’s barely more than the number of points at stake in the very last race on Sunday. This event is therefore poised to be the tightest of the season.
Behind Realteam, the other teams are not giving up. Boosted by their new title of 49er World Champion and their nomination for the ISAF Sailor of the Year, Pete Burling and his teammate Blair Tuke have apparently found the right strategy to lead Emirates Team New Zealand to victory. Their consistency at the front of the fleet today allows them to move from sixth to second place in the standings.
Gazprom Team Russia continues to impress on the water, maintaining third place, just one point ahead of the current circuit leader, Alinghi. The Swiss are back in the game after mixed results yesterday. Their Extreme 40 was the fastest on the water and scored the most points, 49 out of a possible total of 70.
Behind, the battle is fierce between J.P. Morgan BAR and GAC Pindar, both tied with 75 points, with the defending champion, The Wave, Muscat, just one point behind them.
For the French, however, the day was more difficult than yesterday. Groupama sailing team won only one race and finished several at the back of the fleet, dropping them to ninth place.
