HAMPSHIRE sailor Leigh McMillan has missed out on achieving an epic Extreme Sailing Series hat-trick.

The Southampton skipper finished runner-up on The Wave Muscat in the 2014 series which finished in Sydney at the weekend, just ten points adrift of Morgan Larson’s Alinghi team.

It was the end of a thrilling year-long battle between McMillan and Larson and their crews, spanning 12 months, eight countries and 223 races.

“It is frustrating not to win the last event but it was a battle like it has been all year and Alinghi have been sailing really well and they got the better of us so many congratulations to them,” said McMillan.

“To finish second in this event, and second overall, is still a good result.

“It was a fantastic team effort from our guys but there are areas where we could have been better so we have some work to do.

“Sydney has been a fantastic location but the two home wins in Cardiff and Muscat were definitely the highlight of the year for us,” McMillan added.

Sarah Ayton – a double Olympic sailing gold medallist in 2004 and 2008 in the Yngling class – Pete Greenhalgh, Nasser Al Mashari, Kinley Fowler and Ed Smyth made up McMillan’s crew.

“The team really gelled well together and did a great job.”

Oman Sail will be back in 2015 gunning to bring the Extreme Sailing Series Championship title back to Oman starting with the first race in Singapore in February.

The crew will be announced in the New Year.