HAMPSHIRE race ace Leigh McMillan says it’s “crunch time” for his team as they mount their bid for a third consecutive Extreme Sailing Series title.

With five events complete and three stages remaining of the tour, McMillan’s The Wave Muscat crew sit just two points behind arch rivals Alinghi on the overall season leaderboard.

But after winning on UK waters at the most recent event in Cardiff, McMillan’s crack crew are favourites to regain the top spot when racing resumes in Istanbul, Turkey, today (Thurs).

“This is the crunch time of the year with the last four events all packed closely together and we made a pretty good start at Cardiff so are happy with our position,” said McMillan, from Southampton.

“We have not had the best year. Most would agree that Alinghi have been pretty dominant but as it stands, with a double points last event at Sydney, we might as well be on level points so it is all positive.”

In the five events so far in 2014, The Wave, Muscat have proved measured in the early rounds, earning them a reputation as ‘slow starters’.

But both McMillan, a former Olympian, and crew member Sarah Ayton know that consistency is their strong point and key to their success.

“Sometimes we don’t come out of the blocks as fast as the others but we will keep plugging away so we are in with a shout going into the last day,” said Ayton, a former Olympic gold medallist.

“There are a number of things we can do better, quite big things that will make a difference and that gives us the confidence to continually be pushing forward and making fewer mistakes.

“The last event came down to the last race which was a reminder that every point counts. We need to approach every race, every point, as if it really matters.”

Racing in Istanbul runs from September 11-14.