It was a sweltering hot day in Muscat, Oman, for the final 11-boat showdown at the Extreme Sailing Series™, where the Arabian peninsula saved the best for last, with winds that blasted across the course at a steady 20 knots, with gusts of 26, before a final race shoot out.

Four teams were gunning for the top spot and there was no room for error, with just four points between them – and 20 points on the table for the taking. The defending champions and home team on The Wave, Muscat made a real statement of intent from the gun, with an aggressive start that saw them lead the fleet of the line, and Leigh McMillan, Sarah Ayton, Pete Greenhalgh, Kinley Fowler and Nasser Al Mashari didn’t look back, snatching the win from the hands of the Kiwi, Swiss and Danish teams, to claim not only the Act win, but putting them top of the overall Series leaderboard after two Acts.

Over the weekend of 17-18 May, the RYA will once again be running RYA Push the Boat Out with clubs, centres and marinas across the UK offering a range of ‘have a go’ and taster sessions for people to experience sailing and windsurfing.

Clubs and centres can now register their 2014 PTBO open days and taster sessions online.  

If your club is holding an event for the public on RYA Push the Boat Out weekend, the RYA will provide promotional materials including postcards, badges and pens, coasters and key rings. Resources will also be available on the RYA website including advice on how to run an open day, promote your event and downloadable PTBO posters.

In 2013 thousands of people took to the water including newcomers, regular sailors as well as families. Over 100 sailing clubs opened their doors to host Push the Boat Out events.

Cowes Week Limited has published its Notice of Regatta for Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2014 (2-9 August) which is already looking in great shape with well over 100 entries received before the end of 2013 and with more being registered on a weekly basis.

The popular Aberdeen Asset Management Under 25 initiative, which was expanded to provide support to twenty under 25 year-old crews in 2014 when it was announced in November, has reached capacity this week with the full quota of crews. Aberdeen Asset Management looks forward to welcoming all under 25 crews and witnessing an even more fiercely fought battle for the Under 25 Trophy this year.

Organisers are looking forward to a year of celebrations with the 80th anniversary of the Victory Class, the 10th year of the reformation of the Quarter Ton Class, plus the 50th anniversary of co-ordinated race management by Cowes Combined Clubs at this year’s 188th Cowes Week.

On the water highlights include the inaugural European Championships for the J/111 Class which takes place on the first four days of the regatta, a repeat of the successful two-race-a-day format for the SB20 and J/70 Classes at the start of the Week, as well as the possibility of another Big Boat mini-series which, subject to demand, will be introduced for those boats taking part in the Round Britain and Ireland Race and wanting to take part in Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week too.

The first ISAF Grade 2 Match Race event in the UK for six years, equivalent to a European championship, has attracted a top quality field to the Royal Southern Match Cup to be held in Hamble, 12-15 June.

Led by Britain’s Ian Williams, who has been in the top three of the ISAF Open rankings for the last three years, entry requests have already come from top-ranked skippers in Australia, Russia and across Europe – proving that he Royal Southern Match Cup has already succeeded in its aim of putting GBR back on the map for top match racing events. 

The Royal Southern’s Rear Commodore Sailing, Karen Henderson-Williams, said: “We have been working towards this for the last four years. During that time, our young match racers have had to go abroad to compete in Grade 2 events and that takes time and money. 

“We are so delighted that such high quality match racers now want to come and race with us even though it presents us with the problem of having to hold back on some invitations to leave room for the Brits!”

In addition to Ian Williams, there are applications from GBR’s Andy Shaw and Ali Hall, both of whom have been in the top 50 ranking; the Royal Southern is adding a qualifier event on 3-4 May to help select other British entries: www.royal-southern.co.uk