Drama: Red Bull loses podium spot at finish line
 
Red Bull Sailing just missed out on a podium in a dramatic finishing battle on the final day of the last stop of the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series, trailing Luna Rossa Prada (ITA), Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) and The Wave Muscat (Oman). The double Olympic gold medal winner Roman Hagara and his crew were holding onto second place overall just 10 meters before the finish line of the final race but ended up falling one point short of the podium.
 
 
SINGAPORE – Thousands of spectators – watching the racing directly in front of the Formula One track in Singapore – could not believe their eyes. With double points at sake in the final race, Red Bull was back in action after a heavy collision the day before and was even on points in second place in the regatta with The Wave Muscat.
Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher (with Craig Monk and Matt Adams) were battling it out with the rivals from Oman for second place and managed to get in front during the race. They were in the clear and heading for second place overall.
 
“All of a sudden the wind was gone, completely gone,“ said a bewildered Hagara, who like several other skippers had criticised the organisers beforehand for starting the races in conditions where there was at times no wind whatsoever. Both boats came to a standstill just a few meters before the finish line and weren’t able to make it across the line within the time limit. “That won’t diminsh the performance of the team but that obviously leaves a bitter aftertaste,“ said tactician Hans Peter Steinacher. “We did everything right today.“ In the end the were just 11 seconds short of scoring the greatest Big Boat success in the history of the “sailing nation“ Austria.
 
Red Bull Sailing will now transfer the boat directly to Oman, where the new season begins in February 2012. The crew will be stationed in Muscat from about the start of January for a two-month training camp. Roman Hagara said: “The results of the season show that we were the only team that was really able to push the A-Cup syndicates Emirates NZL, Artemis, Luna Rossa and Alinghi to their limits. Now we’ve just got to work on being able to beat them.“
 
Final results Singapore:
1. Luna Rossa Prada (ITA) 260 Punkte,
2. Emirates Team NZL 215,
3. The Wave Muscat 215,
4. Red Bull Sailing 214,
5. Alinghi 206,5;
6. Oman Air,
7. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA),
8. Team Pindar (GBR),
9. Team Tilt (SUI),
10. The First Club (FRA)
 
Overall 2011 standings 2011 (final):
1. Luna Rossa Prada xx Punkte,
2. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild ,
3. Emirates TNZ,
4. The Wave Muscat,
5. Alinghi,
6. Red Bull Sailing,
7. Oman Air,
8. Artemis,
9. Team GAC Pindar,
10. The First Club,
11. Nice for You
 
 
Pictures available for editorial use free of charge.
Credit: S. König / Chili Sports Communication
 
Information: mario.schoby@redbullextremesailing.com
Team Webpage: www.redbullextremesailing.com
 
Further pictures, information and videos www.redbullcontentpool.com