Posts tagged extreme sailing series

EXTREME MEETS EXTREME

Thursday
May 16
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor 2

EXTREME BOATS - SpeedDream teams up with the Extreme Sailing Series - SpeedDream to be publicly exhibited for the first time at the Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 4 in Istanbul, June 2013.

SpeedDream, the quest to build the world’s fastest monohull, has formed two strategic alliances to achieve this ambitious goal. First, recognizing that record setting is as much about radical design ideas as it is about pushing technology barriers, the SpeedDream team have strengthened their technological partnership with the Russian hi-tech giant Yandex and will be utilizing their enormous computing power to further refine the design concept.

Record setting is also about attracting the very best sailors and many of them compete at the highest levels of international competition in the Extreme Sailing Series, the original and global stadium racing circuit. To bring all forces together Yandex- SpeedDream will be exhibiting as part of Act 4 of the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series in Istanbul, Turkey from June 20-23, 2013.

Having expanded its presence to Turkey in 2011, Yandex is Russia’s leading internet company whose search portal alone attracts over 55 million unique users. “As a company on the leading edge of technology we look forward to associating with innovative projects that push the boundaries and hosting SpeedDream here in Istanbul” said Yandex. Turkey Chairman Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ. “We will all benefit from an exchange of ideas with the common goal of being the best and fastest in the world; SpeedDream on the water, Yandex in search and browsing the web.”

Last October the SpeedDream team launched and tested a 27-foot prototype of what will form the basis of a larger record setter. While continuing to test the first prototype, the SpeedDream team have already started research and development for a second stage 50–footer that will enable them to test their design ideas in real ocean conditions. A core of this program is Computative Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Research and Finite Element Analysis, which will be performed as a cooperative effort between SpeedDream designers and Yandex engineers.

“This is a giant step forward for the project,” said Vlad Murnikov, Lead Designer and project coordinator. “There is nothing like being able to simulate a design in a multitude of conditions and our team plans extensive CFD and FEA analysis using the incredible computing power and expertise that Yandex and their engineers can offer. We will take the empirical data collected from our prototype, extrapolate it into a larger design, and then run a variety of simulations over the next few months.”

The Extreme Sailing Series is now in it’s seventh season and has set new standards, both in terms of high-level competition and sporting entertainment. The award-winning Series has attracted some of the very best sailors from around the world and has been on the cutting edge of corporate sporting hospitality and sailing innovation. “Part of the Extreme Sailing Series philosophy is to welcome other interesting and innovative concepts in to our Stadium – the SpeedDream project will create some interest for sure, and if they develop a class of these in the future we could imagine having them as one of the additional classes racing at the event,” commented Mark Turner, Executive Chairman of OC Sport, the Series organisers. “So we agreed to test it out in Istanbul, the meeting point for Asian and European cultures, and now the meeting point for innovation in sailing!”

Yandex-SpeedDream will remain in Europe for the summer with plans to exhibit the boat in various locations where high performance, along with style and innovation are appreciated and celebrated.

Check out SpeedDream at http://www.speeddream27.com/main.html

Posted in News, Racing, Sailing - Tagged sailing, sailing news, SPEEDDREAM 27

ACT 3 FINAL DAY REPLAY

Monday
May 06
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged sailing, sailing news

THE WAVE, MUSCAT WINS

Monday
May 06
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – Qingdao saved its best for last on the final day of Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ and the pressure was understandably on from the first start gun with no quarter given on the water as the teams used classic match racing tactics to try and outwit their nearest rivals. The nine races came in thick and fast in the best conditions the fleet have sailed in all week in the heart of Fushan Bay which has once again demonstrated how they became such a successful Olympic sailing venue. Heading into the final classic Extreme Sailing Series style deciding double-points race, the battle for victory was well and truly on between Alinghi and The Wave, Muscat tracking each other around the course and mirroring each other’s moves. The Swiss America’s Cup winners used their experience to try and outwit Leigh McMillan’s team and although they won the final double pointer, it wasn’t enough to win the Act and an ecstatic, and somewhat relieved McMillan commented:“It’s a massive relief! To actually get the better of Alinghi in the light winds was a big achievement for us. When it comes to the pure boat on boat battle, they (Alinghi) tend to get the better of us. It’s a tough battle, they are a very tough team to beat and tough competitors. The rest of the year is shaping up to be really exciting.”

Morgan Larson, who has taken the tiller from team’s skipper Ernesto Bertarelli at this Act, was visibly frustrated to lose out in the final seconds, and talked through the tactics on the final race. “We had The Wave, Muscat on starboard so we hunted them a little bit, made them tack back and forth and then we just held them and pinned them out until Red Bull Sailing Team and SAP Extreme Sailing Team got in there. We just managed to get our spinnaker up in time to be ahead of Red Bull and SAP and that was with the points we needed, but you have to hand it to The Wave, Muscat. Those guys were sailing so sharp all week they didn’t give up, they fought back and passed the two boats to the finish.” The Swiss team still leads the Series after posting third and first places in Acts 1 and 2 respectively.

SAP Extreme Sailing Team were firing on all cylinders from the word go, winning three races including the first of the day and gradually eating into GAC Pindar’s advantage held from the beginning of the day. In the final race, the co-skippers on SAP Extreme Sailing Team, Jes Gram-Hansen and Rasmus Kostner executed the start with precision and never looked back. Helmsman Gram-Hansen said, “We’re very happy! It’s a fantastic result for us, hopefully something we can build on and as a team everyone is doing a great job. The Wave, Muscat and Alinghi are sailing very well, but I think today we proved that we can also sail just as well. We are definitely getting closer to them so we will go away, debrief and see how we can improve.” This is the second Act in a row the Danish outfit has finished on the podium, matching their third place from Singapore just three weeks ago.

Despite slight frustration at losing out on their first ever podium position at the final hurdle, GAC Pindar’s young Kiwi skipper Will Tiller, who is making a real mark on this Series in his debut year, was upbeat dockside. “We’re a little disappointed with the results but overall really happy as a team. Finishing the regatta in fourth is just brilliant for us and we would happily take that any day! We will keep pushing these top teams. We have been battling with SAP Extreme Sailing Team from day one and well done to them, they sailed really well today. Hopefully in Istanbul we can flip the coin and get ahead of them!”.

The double Olympic gold medal winning duo Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher on Red Bull Sailing Team sailed an inconsistent regatta by their standards on the Olympic waters they know so well, but did manage to muster fifth place overall after a slow start to the week, and sit third on the overall Series leaderboard.

The local contingent China Team had the support of the home crowds this week, with four of China’s talented young sailors stepping up to the challenge, a clear sign of the successes of China Team in developing their national sailing talent. Aussie sailing legend and skipper Mitch Booth commented: “It’s been great to be with the local team, the local support has been just phenomenal and they’re following these youth Chinese sailors with great interest. It’s really satisfying when you are teaching 20 year old kids that have never raced catamarans before to come and join this high level racing Series, it’s just great. For me it’s just great to be back involved in something that is a real passion of mine.”

Earlier this week, the iconic British brand Land Rover announced a three-year sponsorship of the global sailing series as Series Main Partner, and celebrated the launch of the partnership with the unveiling and naming of their Land Rover branded Extreme 40, which has made its world debut in Qingdao and will be used as a platform to host VIP and media guests. Watch a video celebrating the partnership including an interview with Mark Cameron, Land Rover Global Brand Experience Director here.

Co-organised by the Qingdao Yachting Association, China has delivered a festival atmosphere on and off the water including a spectacular opening ceremony, a programme for local schools to meet the sailors and a closing ceremony that finally brought proceedings to a close. Next the Extreme 40s head to Istanbul, 20-23 June for Act 4 as the Series approaches its halfway stage and we can expect the pressure to turn up another level as the teams look to set themselves up for the second half of the year.

Extreme Sailing Series 2013 Act 3, Qingdao standings after Day 4, 26 races (5.5.13)
Position / Team / Points
1st The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Musab Al Hadi, Will Howden 202 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Morgan Larson, Stuart Pollard, Pierre Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 200 points.
3rd SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Kostner, Pete Cumming, Mikkel Røssberg, Nicolai Sehested 191 points.
4th GAC Pindar (NZL) Will Tiller, Shaun Mason, Stewart Dodson, Harry Thurston, Matt Steven 181 points.
5th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matthew Adams, Simon Cook, Graeme Spence 168 points.
6th Team Korea (KOR) Peter Burling, Matt Vincent, Mark Bulkeley, Tom Johnson, Sungwok Kim 163 points.
7th Realteam (SUI) Jerome Clerc, Bryan Mettraux, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Cédric Schmidt, Thiery Wassem 154 points.
8th China Team (CHN) Mitch Booth, Wen Zijin, Yingkit Cheng, Liu Xue, Zhang Yiran 145 points.

Extreme Sailing Series 2013 overall standings after Act 3, QingdaoPosition / Team / Points
1st Alinghi (SUI) 27 points.
2nd The Wave, Muscat (OMA) 26 points.
3rd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) 24 points.
4th SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) 20 points.
5th Team Korea (KOR) 16 points.
6th GAC Pindar (NZL) 16 points.
7th Realteam (SUI) 14 points.
8th Team X Invitational 13 points.

Posted in Article, Racing - Tagged sailing, sailing news

WILL TILLER TALKS ABOUT BEING A NEW SKIPPER

Monday
May 06
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM GAC PINDAR – GAC Pindar’s skipper Will Tiller only made the switch from match racing to the Extreme 40 stadium this year, and it seems to have been a smooth transition for the young Kiwi who is currently taking on the more experienced skippers in Qingdao and giving them a run for their money, sitting in third place as we head into the final days racing.

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged GAC PINDAR, sailing, sailing news, WILL TILLER

THE WAVE, MUSCAT DUEL IT OUT WITH ALINGHI

Saturday
May 04
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – Plotting a course for the podium with only 11 points separating third to eighth place and all teams eyeing a top three finish
- Collision between the Swiss teams Alinghi & Realteam leaves Alinghi with a night of repairs ahead

The skippers and crews competing at Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Qingdao (China) could have woken up in a different city today, after a thick fog descended overnight masking the buildings around Fushan Bay. The fleet waited patiently on shore for the fog to clear and they thought it was all over for the day, but at 1630 local time it finally abated, the roof tops reemerged and four leaderboard changing races were sailed. Leigh McMillan certainly seemed to have his mojo back today, winning two of the four races to overhaul Alinghi’s 14 race reign at the top of the leaderboard and setting his team The Wave, Muscat up with a 12 point advantage for tomorrow’s final day. If possible, the battle on the rest of the leaderboard was even more tense and after another testing light wind day, only 11 points separate positions three to eight at close of play– the difference of tomorrow’s final double points race with everything to play for.

The Wave, Muscat strengthened their hand with each race and had their strategy sorted, executing the starts with precision as a clearly relieved McMillan explained: “The strategy to start with was trying to be out of phase with the other boats, because with such a narrow course and lots of tacking there weren’t many opportunities for overtaking. If you are in phase with the other boats you just slow each other down, so we tried to avoid that as much as we could, and that seemed to work well for us. We are just happy to be racing well and actually working well as a team, and generally everyone sailing well on the boat, so that is the bonus”.

Where The Wave, Muscat triumphed today Alinghi faltered with the biggest blow coming in the final race when a collision with their Swiss counterparts Realteam resulted not only in a penalty for helmsman Morgan Larson for a simple port-starboard incident, but damage to Alinghi’s port stern. Back on shore, the umpires reassessed and after concluding that Realteam could have avoided the collision Jerome Clerc will be penalized with a starting penalty tomorrow. But for Alinghi that will give little solace with a night of repairs ahead and the team will have to regroup and dig deep tonight to come back fighting tomorrow, as Larson explained: “It just didn’t click from the word go, I can’t really pin-point one area. You just have to get the little things right, get a good start, maintain good speed and not over-think it and not get yourself into a sticky predicament. We let a lot of points slip but tomorrow’s another day, there’s going to be a lot of races and there will be chances to get a comeback. I’d be really unhappy if we didn’t push The Wave, Muscat right to the finish line.”

Qingdao continued to test the teams today in light winds of only five knots on short courses that lasted less than 15 minutes. In the final short one lap windward-leeward race, three teams, SAP Extreme Sailing Team, GAC Pindar and the local boat China Team, were all fighting each other hard with the high stakes of a podium position up for grabs to set them up for tomorrow’s finale. GAC Pindar’s Will Tiller, who only made the switch from match racing to Extreme 40 stadium racing this year, did well to hold his nerve and maintain the third place he came into going into today, explain after racing: “We are so happy to still be in third and still to be going well. It’s interesting to see Alinghi were not so untouchable today so there’s always the chance that if we sail well to catch up to them.”

The local contingent, China Team have been spurred on by the support of a home crowd this week and upgraded their position from seventh to fifth at the end of today after a string of finishes in the top half of the fleet, and well within touching distance of the overall podium. Skipper Mitch Booth, who is leading the team of some of China’s finest young sailors, was aware of the challenges tomorrow will bring, but couldn’t help having an eye on what could be his first ever podium finish in the Extreme Sailing Series. “We didn’t expect to be so close to the podium, that’s for sure! I think to be realistic we’ve been quite lucky with this regatta so far, it’s been light so we’ve covered a few of our mistakes, but we’re pretty happy with where we’re doing on the boat. I have never finished on a podium in any Extreme Sailing Series event, it would mean a lot to be on the podium for a change!”

Red Bull Sailing Team had another mixed bag of results today, including a win in the first race but wavered in the second finishing last, which ultimately cost them one place on the overall leaderboard. SAP Extreme Sailing Team are hungry for their second consecutive podium place after finishing third in Singapore only three weeks ago, while Team Korea and Realteam are in pursuit of their first top three finishes in both of the teams’ debut year.

All of the teams will be heading into tomorrow’s final day plotting their course for the podium, with so little separation on the leaderboard and a final double points race to come, tomorrow really is anyone’s game. The fleet will race in two sessions in the morning and afternoon to make the most of the conditions in Qingdao, which are set to be another testing day of light winds on the 2008 Olympic waters.

Extreme Sailing Series 2013 Act 3, Qingdao standings after Day 3, 17 races (4.5.13)
Position / Team / Points
1st The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Musab Al Hadi, Will Howden 132 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Morgan Larson, Stuart Pollard, Pierre Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 120 points.
3rd GAC Pindar (NZL) Will Tiller, Shaun Mason, Stewart Dodson, Harry Thurston, Matt Steven 111 points.
4th SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Kostner, Pete Cumming, Mikkel Røssberg, Nicolai Sehested 110 points.
5th China Team (CHN) Mitch Booth, Wen Zijin, Yingkit Cheng, Liu Xue, Zhang Yiran 106 points.
6th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matthew Adams, Simon Cook, Graeme Spence 105 points.
7th Team Korea (KOR) Peter Burling, Matt Vincent, Mark Bulkeley, Tom Johnson, Sungwok Kim 103 points.
8th Realteam (SUI) Jerome Clerc, Bryan Mettraux, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Cédric Schmidt, Thiery Wassem 97 points.

Posted in Article, Racing - Tagged Alinghi team, sailing, sailing news, team oman

THE WAVE, MUSCAT BACK ON TOP

Saturday
May 04
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEA OMAN – A tricky fog bound day ended in a stunning success for The Wave, Muscat who posted two outright wins to climb to the top of the leaderboard of the Extreme Sailing Series in China with an emphatic 12 point lead.

Teams were forced to wait in the race village for three hours when thick fog enveloped Qingdao’s Fushan Bay but just as officials were preparing to abandon racing for day, it lifted, leaving enough time for four races before it fell dark.

A slow start in the first race set the Oman Sail team back but they were able to turn things around dramatically in the second, to record their first win which they followed up with a second victory in the next.

“It was boring having to wait for three hours but it turned out to be a very good day for us because we were able to stay focused,” said Musab Al Hadi, one of the crop of talented young Omani sailors coming through Oman Sail’s unique sailing programme.

“We had some good starts and were able to get into clear air. We messed up the first one in a major way but decided on a less risky approach in the second and waited for the opportunity to apply some pressure and it worked out well for us.

“It feels good to be back in the game though it is too early to start thinking about winning because there are a lot of races tomorrow including a double points final race but we will relax and try our best.”

Delighted skipper Leigh McMillan whose plans were thrown into chaos earlier this week when one of his crewmembers, the Omani multihull star Hashim Al Rashdi was forced to withdraw with appendicitis, cautioned against raising expectations over winning in Qingdao when there was still so much to do.

“There are still 120 points up for grabs so there is a lot of work to do,” he said.

“We have a morning and an afternoon session tomorrow which means a lot races so if we are remotely off our form, a 12 point lead can be turned around in a couple of races so we have to keep on sailing well.

“At the moment it is probably between us and Alinghi but 12 points is only two bad races. If we sail well we have every chance of defending well here in Qingdao.

“Everyone is in good shape and we have things working well on the boat so tonight we will recap on things like communication and decision making to see how we can improve and tonight we will relax.

“Then tomorrow we will go out and reproduce the team work and performances we have produced so far but so far this has been a good event for us and I am really happy.”

“Alinghi had a couple of difficult starts and it made things difficult for them. Two races like that and they were locked in which gave us the opportunity to get clear.

“It was very tight with lots of tacks and lots happening but we were able to sail through and it paid off, massively.”

Posted in Article, Races, Racing Teams - Tagged sailing, sailing news, team oman, THE WAVE MUSCAT

CHINA’S EXTREME SKIPPER MITCH BOOTH

Saturday
May 04
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM CHINA – Mitch Booth is one of the most decorated sailors of his generation with more accolades then you can shake a stick at including 11 world championships titles, 5 world records and 2 Olympic medals. At Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series global tour in Qingdao, Booth is skippering the local entry China Team and we caught up with the co-creator of the Extreme 40 to find out the inspiration behind the high-performance Extreme 40 catamaran and the China Teams goals for the week ahead

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged MITCH BOOTH, sailing, sailing news, Team China

ACT 3 DAY 2 REPLAY

Saturday
May 04
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – On a packed-eight race day at the Extreme Sailing Series in Qingdao the eight international Extreme 40s competing moved into stadium mode in the heart of Fushan Bay where the battle lines were drawn between Alinghi and The Wave, Muscat. Watch the replay of the days final three stadium races from China’s ‘Olympic Sailing City’ here.

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged sailing, sailing news

ALINGHI AND ‘THE WAVE’ BATTLE IT OUT

Friday
May 03
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor 2

EXTREME SAILING – On a packed-eight race day at Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Qingdao, where all the action was broadcast live for the third year running on local broadcaster Qingdao TV, the eight international Extreme 40s competing moved into stadium mode in the heart of Fushan Bay where the battle lines were drawn between Alinghi and The Wave, Muscat.

It was a game of cat and mouse as the Swiss and Omani flagged teams hunted each other around the compact racecourse, which at times resulted in a few near misses and protest flags being pulled. Alinghi did well to defend their lead and cling onto a three-point advantage at close of play, and both teams have one eye firmly fixed on each other and the other looking over their shoulders at the rest of the fleet with only 20 points separating positions two to six – the difference of just two races as we head into tomorrow’s penultimate day in China’s Olympic Sailing City.

After yesterday’s open water racing Morgan Larson, who is helming Ernesto Bertarelli’s team Alinghi in Qingdao, had a 11 point advantage over the fleet but today initially struggled with the flukey conditions within the stadium allowing some of his advantage to slip away. Cool as ever, Larson did well to remain calm despite McMillan piling on the pressure, as Larson reflected after racing: “We made it too complicated in the beginning of the day. In conditions like this you just have to simplify things, keep the boat pointed at the marks and don’t get too tricky. We’ve reminded ourselves of that half way through the day and we improved again. It is fun having a little tussle with The Wave, Muscat they are really good!”

There was a certain amount of pressure on McMillan coming into this Act to perform after an out of character fifth place for his team at the previous Act in Singapore, and today’s reunion of McMillan with his former Team GBR Olympic Tornado crew, Will Howden, who last sailed together on these waters at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, seemed to give the team the golden touch sailing to three race wins and upgrading them to second place. “Today was good for us and a bit of a turnaround after the last event and yesterday, when we made a few mistakes. We have been working really hard in turning that around and made a lot of emphasis in making sure that we sail well together and we communicate well. That´s what we did today so this is the result of that hard work. The team is happy as we sailed really well and we are back to our usual groove and looking forward to the next few days” McMillan commented.

The surrounding buildings casting a wind shadow over the racecourse and lots of big shifts made for another difficult day for the teams with big gains but adversely big looses to be made. SAP Extreme Sailing Teams co-skipper and tactician Rasmus Kostner, whose Danish team managed to sail a steady day to hold onto fourth place, was one team relishing the Qingdao weather. “We love it here, 15 degrees and rain, it’s like a Danish summer! I think in the stadium racing everything changes so quickly you just have to take what you can and if you wait too long you might miss your opportunity. We had some good races today but we also had a couple where we misread the course a bit but it happens, and I think it will be really close on the leaderboard”.

Will Tiller, the young Kiwi skipper of GAC Pindar in his debut Extreme 40 year, was a bit of a silent danger today, delivering a string of consistent results and slowing chipping away at the leaderboard before a win in the penultimate race bolstered the teams position from sixth to third place, much to his surprise after racing. “We had no idea we had done so well today! With stadium racing, we seem to be a bit better and I think today we managed to find our way through the pack really nicely in a couple of races and then when we got good starts we happened to have the speed to stay in front, so that was really good.”

Red Bull Sailing Team’s gold medal winning partnership of skipper Roman Hagara and tactician Hans-Peter Steinacher have sailed on these waters more than other duo competing this week including the 2005 pre-Olympics and the 2008 Olympics Games. After struggling to find their normal pace yesterday, today saw a return to form for the Austrians with a bullet in the opening race and another in race 11, resulting in a gain of three places on the leaderboard to fifth, showing just how quickly things can change on the stadium racecourse. Unfortunately for Jérome Clerc’s Realteam, the scenario was reversed, and the Fushan Bay stadium punished them hard, falling four places to finish the day sixth.

As the Extreme 40s go into the penultimate day tomorrow, the teams can expect plenty of more close racing on the short stadium courses as they fight to secure their positions on the leaderboard before the final day.

Extreme Sailing Series 2013 Act 3, Qingdao standings after Day 2, 13 races (3.5.13)

Position / Team / Points
1st Alinghi (SUI) Morgan Larson, Stuart Pollard, Pierre Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 102 points.
2nd The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Musab Al Hadi, Will Howden 99 points.
3rd GAC Pindar (NZL) Will Tiller, Shaun Mason, Stewart Dodson, Harry Thurston, Matt Steven 85 points.
4th SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Kostner, Pete Cumming, Mikkel Røssberg, Nicolai Sehested 82 points.
5th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matthew Adams, Simon Cook, Graeme Spence 80 points.
6th Realteam (SUI) Jerome Clerc, Bryan Mettraux, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Cédric Schmidt, Thierry Wasem 79 points.
7th China Team (CHN) Mitch Booth, Wen Zijin, Yingkit Cheng, Liu Xue, Zhang Yiran 76 points.
8th Team Korea (KOR) Peter Burling, Matt Vincent, Mark Bulkeley, Tom Johnson, Sungwok Kim 73 points

Posted in News, Racing - Tagged sailing, sailing news

THE WAVE, MUSCAT MOVES UP THE LEADERBOARD

Friday
May 03
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – Oman Sail’s The Wave, Muscat made a welcome return to winning ways on the second day in Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series in Qingdao moving into second place on the leaderboard to sit just three points behind rivals Alinghi with two days still to go.

On another damp and chilly day in Fushan Bay, the 2012 Extreme Sailing champions relished the stronger breeze, sweeping to victory in three of the eight races completed with podium places in two others. Their success lifted them one place on the leaderboard and closed the gap on the Swiss team.

“It is a good feeling to be winning again because it feels like it’s been a while since we last won,” said Musab Al Hadi, The Wave, Muscat’s makeshift bowman in the absence of Hashim Al Rashdi who was taken ill with appendicitis earlier this week.

“But we are only half way through and anything can happen. Our battle with Alinghi is really good and we will fight to the end, pushing harder and harder but we will take it day by day.

“Our communication is getting better and better on board. We came back well today and we hope that will continue tomorrow and the day after.”

Hashim Al Rashdi’s place on The Wave, Muscat was taken by British sailor Will Howden who was recruited at the last minute by skipper Leigh McMillan. The pair campaigned a Tornado together in two Olympic Games including Beijing 2008 when the multihull class made its last appearance in an Olympics.

Howden, one of the top multihull sailors in Britain, is no stranger to Extreme 40 racing having been a member of the Oman Air crew last season.

“It was great to have Will on board because he has as much experience in the Extreme 40 class as me so was able to give good input which is really important in our mission to pass on our experience and skills to the younger guys,” said McMillan, who was more than happy to be back in familiar territory on the leaderboard.

“It is a relief to be sailing well again. We had a solid day sailing as we normally do and all the guys helped me turn things around so we had a good day. We had a little bit of wind but it never really stayed in. It was mostly around five knots though we did see eight a couple of times.

“We had really good starts which gave us a good base to make decisions on the course and our communications were better having had a chat about it last night. We all want to sail well and push hard and we were able to do that today.”

The battle with Alinghi has seen The Wave, Muscat raise their game with the intensity of the contest between the two team set to increase over the final two days.

“It was good to take a chunk of points out of them today so hopefully we can keep pushing them really hard.

“Alinghi won in Singapore and got off to a flying start here and it is nice to see them not dominating for a change. We see them as the team to beat so that is our aim.” Said McMillan.

Posted in Article - Tagged sailing, sailing news, team oman

EXTREME SAILING SERIES™ HEADS TO CHINA

Wednesday
May 01
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – China’s Olympic Sailing City Qingdao is preparing to welcome the eight international Extreme 40 teams for Act 3 of their international non-stop tour of the globe. Only two weeks ago the Swiss team Alinghi claimed victory in Singapore before the fleet and all the Series paraphernalia were packed into containers and shipped by Logistics Partner GAC Pindar non-stop to Qingdao.

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged sailing, sailing news

LAND ROVER PARTNERS WITH THE EXTREME SAILING SERIES™

Tuesday
Apr 30
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES™ – The iconic British brand Land Rover announced today an exciting new three year sponsorship as a Series Main Partner to the Extreme Sailing Series™. The Extreme Sailing Series, the elite level stadium racing annual circuit that spans the globe, is now in its seventh year and continues to go from strength to strength. As one of two top level series partners, the arrival of Land Rover brings further confirmation that the original stadium sailing circuit, has global and unique appeal for premium brands and quality host venues. The event has literally helped change the way sailing is seen, and with this new and exciting partnership, coupled with the series of other partnership announcements over the previous months, the Extreme Sailing Series’ position is confirmed as leading the sport into new territories, innovations and audiences.

As Series Main Partner (one of a maximum of two such Partners, with the other Series Main Partner space still under negotiation), this top-tier level sponsorship will enable Land Rover to promote their range of vehicles in key markets the Series visits including the UK, China, France and Brazil. Land Rover’s core values are interwoven in a natural way with the Extreme Sailing Series, as both brands look to innovation and performance as key benchmarks, as Mark Cameron, Land Rover’s Global Brand Experience Director, commented: “We are extremely excited to announce this new partnership with the Extreme Sailing Series. It is a natural fit for Land Rover and provides a perfect platform to showcase our shared core values. We identified the sport of sailing as an interesting target for us, and looked for the right property. The urban nature of the circuit, combined with these nonetheless off-road sailing machines, is a great fit. The Extreme 40s are high-performance multihulls able to race in nearly all weather conditions, whilst the Land Rover vehicles are able to tackle all terrains and conditions on land.”

Land Rover will also be granted trophy naming rights to half of the Acts each year and will also invest significantly in a full activation programme in support of their sponsorship of the Extreme Sailing Series. Land Rover will also be inviting their key VIP guests and media to the events to experience the unique thrill of sailing onboard their own Land Rover branded Extreme 40, with the option to enter the boat as a wildcard at selected Acts throughout the year, and to enter a full Series team in 2014.

This new sponsorship by Land Rover will be the company’s sole global sponsorship since announcing its support of the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015, as well as rugby at a Grassroots and Premiership level in the United Kingdom. Land Rover is also the Official Vehicle of the Ski Club of Great Britain and sponsors all of the Ski Club’s on-snow activity and Equestrian Sports in the UK from the British Eventing Team, to the Burghley Horse Trials and the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Land Rover’s first foray into the sport of sailing was in 1990 when it sponsored Britain’s largest amateur sailing regatta, Cowes Week, but this is their first step into a global sponsorship of a sailing event.

Since 2007 the Extreme Sailing Series has taken its innovative stadium-style racing format all over the world, attracting some of the world’s best sailors to race on high-performance Extreme 40 catamarans. This significant partnership with Land Rover marks another positive step in the right direction as Mark Turner, Executive Chairman of OC Sport, organiser of the Series, commented: “We are proud that such an iconic brand as Land Rover is committing to the Extreme Sailing Series. This announcement comes at the start of the circuit’s third full global tour and underpins our decision to go ‘global’ in 2011 – just having completed an excellent Act 2 in the iconic city of Singapore, we have no doubt of our strategy being the right one. Land Rover’s commitment, alongside the support of our other sponsors, like our technical partner SAP, demonstrates the commercial appeal of the circuit and shows that we can deliver a great return on investment back to our partners at both team and event level. We are confident that with Land Rover’s involvement we can build on the successes of this Series as we continue to innovate, reaching out to new audiences, and visiting new territories.”

For more information on Land Rover click here.
For more information on the Extreme Sailing Series click here.

Posted in Article - Tagged LAND ROVER, sailing, sailing news

OMAN SAIL’S THE WAVE MUSCAT TARGETS RETURN

Monday
Apr 29
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – Time for reflection following their windless and frustrating visit to Singapore has strengthened the resolve of Oman’s The Wave Muscat to return to the top of the table at the Extreme Sailing Series Act 3 in Qingdao, China, 2nd-5th May 2013.

Oman Sail’s Extreme 40 crew admitted the conditions over four days in the still and steamy Asian venue took their toll on their patience and performance leaving them short of the required podium points for the first time in ten Extreme Sailing Series regattas.

But after some frank discussions over how they might have fared better, watching hours of video footage and scrutinizing tactics with their coach Rob Wilson, the 2012 Champions have emerged in a positive frame of mind, thankful the setback occurred early in the series.

After winning Act 1 in Muscat and finishing fifth in Singapore, the Omani-flagged boat is lying in third place overall, just two points behind joint leaders Alinghi and Red Bull with another six Acts remaining in the 2013 season.

“We just had an off event and maybe it was the little kick we needed to get us back on track for this year, to put some fire in our bellies and claw our way back up to the top,” said skipper Leigh McMillan, who helmed The Wave Muscat to the Extreme Sailing Series Championship victory in 2012.

It was in China that The Wave Muscat moved into the overall lead of the Extreme Sailing Series last year after winning Act 2 with a full day to spare, a rare feat in this type of racing. A year later, competing in front of more than 60,000 spectators, the race is on to repeat their triumph and take the Qingdao Doublestar Cup for the second time.

“We learned a lot in Singapore and know we can do it better. We are a strong team and do not need to start panicking – so we are now looking forward to the rest of the season starting with a solid performance in Qingdao.”

McMillan is looking forward to stronger breezes in China though is fully prepared for similar conditions to Singapore and is confident he and his crew of Pete Greenhalgh and Ed Smyth plus the two Omani stars Hashim Al Rashdi and Musab Al Hadi will react well to whatever they find.

Hashim was part of the winning crew last year but for Musab, this will be only his third Extreme event and his first visit to China.

“I am really looking forward to it – a different culture and sailing conditions that will be very different to Singapore,” he said. “As a team we think it will be better than Singapore but the challenge will still be difficult especially from Alinghi who won last time round.

“Their skipper Morgan Larsen wants to win it almost as much as we do so it will be interesting. There should be more breeze and hopefully it will be a little cooler which will be better.”

Hashim Al Rashdi has more idea what to expect having completed 29 races in Fushan Bay last year.

“We had to contend with fog and it was quite hard picking the shifts but it could be the same this year. We have already moved on from Singapore and are concentrating on what it will take to get back into winning form in Qingdao.

“Our aim is to get back on to the podium in China. Our plans are very different from Singapore but it will depend on the conditions and the breeze.”

Fushan Bay, where racing will take place from 2nd-5th May 2013, was the home of the Olympics in 2008. It is known as China’s premier sailing destination and is surrounded on three sides by the Yellow Sea.

Posted in Article - Tagged sailing, sailing news, team oman

CHINA TEAM RETURNS

Friday
Apr 19
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor 2

EXTREME SAILING – The Chinese challenger for the America’s Cup World Series, China Team, is heading to the sprawling metropolis of Qingdao as the invitational home team at Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ global tour from the 2nd-5th May 2013. The team will compete against the seven established Series teams on their home waters at China’s Olympic ‘Sailing City’.

China Team competed in the 2012 Qingdao Act and this year return with an almost entirely new line-up, including four Chinese sailors, all fresh from competing at the America’s Cup World Series in Naples, Italy. Yingkit Cheng (mainsail trimmer), one of China’s top 49er sailors, is the only team member to return to the Extreme 40 fleet after debuting with China Team in 2012 and has since had the chance to fine-tune his multihull skills with the team’s AC45. Cheng commented: “I’m so excited to return to this exciting class and sail in my home country with such a strong fleet this year. For me, it is a wonderful opportunity to reunite with my sailing friends from all over the world and compete, and hopefully win some races, against them.” Some of China’s most talented and elite sailors, and regular China Team crew, Yiran Zhang (bowman) Xue Liu (headsail trimmer) and Zijin Wen (co-skipper/tactician) will be making their Extreme 40 debut as part of China Team’s ongoing endeavor to raise the profile of yachting in China and develop their national talent. The increase in the number of Chinese sailors competing as regular crew members with China Team is a clear indication of the successes achieved so far.

China Team is led by skipper and helmsman Mitch Booth, co-creator of the Extreme 40 boat, who is in possession of an enviable CV including two Olympic medals (bronze in Barcelona, 1992 and silver in Atlanta, 1996), an impressive 11 World Championships titles, as well as America’s Cup and previous Extreme 40 experience as skipper of The Ocean Racing Club in 2010. The Aussie legend admits its will be a challenge coming back to the fleet after a three-year hiatus: “I’m really looking forward to returning to the Extreme Sailing Series in Qingdao. This class is obviously close to my heart. It is always tough coming into a fleet that has already got a few events under their belts but together with China Team, we are excited to compete in the team’s home nation.”

The invitational team concept, which at Act 1 was Team Duqm Oman and Act 2 Team Aberdeen Singapore (both helmed by Britain’s Robert Greenhalgh), provides a platform for home nation teams and local sailing talent to compete on home waters, and so far this year has been a huge success, most recently providing Singapore’s aspiring Olympic sailor Scott Glen Sydney the opportunity to skipper his local boat. Watch an interview with Sydney as he discusses the opportunity here. The full crew lists for Act 3, Qingdao and live streaming times will be confirmed by Thursday 25th April.

Posted in News, Racing - Tagged sailing, sailing news

ACT 2 SINGAPORE HIGHLIGHTS

Monday
Apr 15
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – Marina Bay in the heart of Singapore was beating to a different rhythm this week with the Extreme Sailing Series in town. Round two of the 2013 global tour saw eight Extreme 40s racing in the shadows of some of the most spectacular architecture in the world, including two of the nations top sailors on board local entry Team Aberdeen Singapore. Over 4 days and 23 races, Morgan Larson’s first event as skipper of Alinghi could not have gone better, putting in a empathic performance to claim a well-deserved win.

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged sailing, sailing news

ALINGHI WINS ACT 2

Monday
Apr 15
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – Morgan Larson and his Swiss team Alinghi sailed a faultless regatta at Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Singapore on one of the most memorable stadium race courses the Extreme 40 fleet have ever sailed on to claim overall victory in this truly spectacular Asian city. Only one race was sailed on the final day in typical light wind Singaporean conditions but it was one of the most-tense final races ever in the seven-year history of the Series with any of the teams capable of a podium position going into the race.

Shortly after the fleet left the dock and due to the lack of breeze, Race Committee made the call to run non-points scoring exhibition races, and as the racing was all but abandoned the wind filled in, and the committee were able to complete one more race which changed the face of the Act results. According to the SAP analytics, at different stages during the final race, four teams including Alinghi (SUI), Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT), SAP Extreme Sailing (DEN) and Realteam (SUI) were all in podium positions with the constant shuffling of the leader board making it anyone’s game. Morgan Larson, who has led the pack since race six, was unflappable and his Swiss team claim a deserved win, their first win since Almeria in 2011. “We’re ecstatic! It’s just been a great week for the team. We had a great time here in Singapore which really helped us to perform. It’s a great city, with tough sailing conditions, but that’s the same for everybody and we just had that little bit of luck along the way and we also did a great job.”

Roman Hagara’s Red Bull Sailing Team posed the biggest threat to Larson today, but Hagara knew it was a big ask to overhaul the Swiss in a single race and did well to hold his nerve to finish second, equalling his result from Act 1 in Muscat. “It’s always tough when you don’t know when the last race is going to happen, but it worked out well for us and it’s great for the team. They did a great job on the boat. I think they really deserved it and it’s great for the overall standing now.” Red Bull Sailing Team are now tied on points with Alinghi at the top of the overall Series leader board.

Four days of challenging, light winds on Marina Bay required patience, nerves of steel and a cool head from the Extreme 40 sailors, which SAP Extreme Sailing Team had by the bucket load. The Danish squad came into the final day tied on points with The Wave, Muscat in third place after their best performance on the Series to date yesterday, and a third place in today’s race saw the team secure their first ever podium position in third. Co-Skipper and tactician Rasmus Kostner was beaming after racing. “It’s fantastic, I think it is a real milestone for SAP Extreme Sailing Team and we’re really happy with a podium finish here. We’ve been looking for that for a long time.” The icing on the cake for the Danish team is to upgrade from seventh to fourth on the overall Series leader board. READ MORE HERE

Posted in Article - Tagged Alinghi team, sailing, sailing news

EXTREME SAILING – DAY ONE

Thursday
Apr 11
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor 2

EXTREME SAILING – Act 2 of the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series has begun in Singapore under the gaze of the towering downtown city skyline where the Extreme Sailing Series Race Village is nestled in the heart this bustling city. Marina Bay Reservoir will provide a temporary residence for the eight Extreme 40s for the next three days of Stadium Sailing, and if today’s racing is anything to go by, Act 2 with the support of Local Event main partner Aberdeen Asset Management could be anyone’s game.

Four races were staged as the local conditions tested the skills of the fleet with some big wind shifts making the game a little bit harder, and some teams ultimately suffered more than others as they tried to find the formula on the tight Singaporean race course. Morgan Larson, (who replaces Ernesto Bertarelli as skipper in Singapore), and his Swiss America’s Cup compatriots on Alinghi won the first and last races of the day, but it didn’t quite compare to Leigh McMillan’s consistent performance whose Omani team The Wave, Muscat took honours after day one. Talking tactics, McMillan, who won Act 1 on home waters in Muscat Oman, explained: “In light winds you’ve got a lot more time to actually talk about the situations and to react. You need to maintain your composure and be very, very patient with the conditions, and make sure you do things at the right time. It’s great to be in Singapore and to be here racing within these buildings. With these conditions it’s quite tough but as the wind picks up I’m sure it will be full on and we won’t have much time to react and think about what’s happening, we will just have to sail as it comes.”

The Swiss on Realteam headed by the 2012 D35 Champion Jérome Clerc led going into the final race, using their light wind Swiss lake sailing experience to the best of their ability on the tight Singapore stadium. But mistakes are punished hard on such short courses, and a poor start in the final race ultimately cost them not only the race, but the pole position at the end of day one. Clerc, whose team still managed to finish the day in an impressive fourth place, said: “This is more challenging than lake sailing, the buildings make it hard to predict so it’s tough. Things change quickly on this race course – you have to sail well every time, sometimes you make one mistake and you can’t follow the fleet and you finish at the end of the race. You have to be all over everything.”

At the pre-event skippers press conference today, when asked about the influx of new talent for 2013, Roman Hagara, one of the most experienced Extreme 40 skippers from Red Bull Sailing Team, told the national and international press “the young guns are going to push us all the way” and today he was spot on. Kiwi Will Tiller, skipper of GAC Pindar in his debut year on the Extreme Sailing Series, who is currently ranked number five in the ISAF World Match Racing rankings, showed he as talented a fleet racer as a match racer, putting in consistent performances including a win in race three to wrap up the day in third place, tied on points with Alinghi. Speaking after racing, an enthused Tiller said: “It’s awesome to just be racing in such a cool spot in the middle of the city here, it’s pretty spectacular. We’re really enjoying it and we feel more comfortable in these light wind conditions at the moment and we hope it stays this way, but it’s about getting consistent results which is how you do well in this fleet, so learning how to do that is what we’re trying to do.”

The debutant home nation invitational entry Team Aberdeen Singapore have the youngest skipper onboard, Scott Glen Sydney, and the first ever Singaporean skipper of an Extreme 40 is hoping to get to grips with the Extreme 40 quickly. After a challenging first day, which sees the team finish in eighth, Scott was certain the team could improve on today’s performance. ”Boat handling and team work wise, we definitely improved from our training days, and the base is really set well for the next few days. It still very early in the Act and anyone can still win this. Hopefully luck will shift our way tomorrow. We will get in to the right mindset and just be open to anything that might happen, you never know with Singapore and the forecast!”.

It wasn’t just the Extreme 40s who got to test the waters of Marina Bay today, and Red Bull wakeboard team rider Sasha Christian kept the onlookers from the surrounding skyscrapers entertained as she took her board for a tow behind the Red Bull Sailing Team Extreme 40 before racing kicked in! Tomorrow the event opens to the public, and with a city wide-advertising campaign in place, thousands of locals are expected to descend over the next three days to watch the Extreme 40s race in the heart of their city and support their local sailors and team. The fleet will race in two sessions tomorrow, the first at 0830 local time to make the most of the morning breeze, before an afternoon sessions which will be streamed online from 1800 local time (1200 CEST) on the official event website.

Extreme Sailing Series 2013 Act 2, Singapore standings after Day 1, 4 races (11.04.13)Position / Team / Points

1st The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Musab Al Hadi, Hashim Al Rashdi 32 points. 2nd Alinghi (SUI) Morgan Larson, Stuart Pollard, Pierre-Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 29 points. 3rd GAC Pindar (NZL) Will Tiller, Brad Farrand, Stewart Dodson, Harry Thurston, Matt Steven 29 points. 4th Realteam (SUI) Jérome Clerc, Bruno Barbarin, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Cédric Schmidt, Bryan Mettraux 27 points. 5th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matthew Adams, Pierre Le Clainche, Graeme Spence 26 points. 6th SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Kostner, Pete Cumming, Mikkel Røssberg, Nicolai Sehested 25 points. 7th Team Korea (KOR) Peter Burling, Blair Tuke, Mark Bulkeley, Sungwok Kim, Sung Ahn Jung 23 points. 8th Team Aberdeen Singapore (SIN) Scott Glen Sydney, Robert Greenhalgh, Andrew Walsh, Justin Wong, Rick Peacock 17 points

Posted in News, Racing - Tagged sailing, sailing news

PROGRAM 1 – MUSCAT, OMAN

Tuesday
Apr 09
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – Episode one of the 2013 official Extreme Sailing Series TV Series come to you from Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman.

In the world of high-performance sailing, one Series brings the sailing right to the crowds, and in Oman, eight high-performance Extreme 40 catamarans went head to head over four days of intense competition. Fresh talent met the old guard for the first time and the four new skippers on the start line each showed moments of brilliance — a sign of things to come in what is shaping up to be the closest Series to date.

Watch how the action unfolded and go behind the scenes with exclusive interviews with some of the best sailors in the sport.

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged sailing, sailing news, team oman

SINGAPORE GOES EXTREME…AGAIN

Wednesday
Apr 03
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor 2

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – The high-rise and cosmopolitan city of Singapore is getting into gear to host to Act 2 of the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series™ in just one weeks time. It’s not the first time the Extreme 40s have raced in Singapore but this iconic city is now a regular fixture on the global, 8-stop tour for the next three years supported by Local Partner Aberdeen Asset Management, the Singapore Sports Council and the Singapore Sailing Federation.

Eight international teams with 28 World Championship titles, 20 Olympic campaigns and 25 America’s Cups between them will line up on the 11th April for four days of intense stadium racing on Marina Bay Reservoir, including local heroes Scott Glen Sydney and Justin Wong and their home nation invitational entry, Team Aberdeen Singapore.

Fans onsite can enjoy a packed entertainment schedule in the free to enter public race village at The Promontory@Marina Bay including live music, try sailing and more, while online fans can watch the stadium racing live online on the official event website at:

https://www.extremesailingseries.com

Posted in News, Racing - Tagged sailing, sailing news

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!

Monday
Mar 25
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor 2

EXTREME SAILING - Singapore, 25 March 2013 – British sailing heavyweights Robert Greenhalgh, Andrew Walsh and Rick Peacock will add an injection of sailing talent to Team Aberdeen Singapore that will be skippered by Singaporean Scott Glen Sydney and fellow Singaporean Justin Wong as trimmer to complete the Team Aberdeen Singapore line-up.

The team will compete in Act 2 of the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series in Singapore, with Aberdeen Asset Management as the Local Partner, to be staged at the world famous Promontory@Marina Bay from 11-14 April 2013. Team Aberdeen Singapore will race as the invitational team, a concept that enables local sailors in each region the global Series visits to compete with and against some of the world’s best. Scott, an aspiring Olympic sailor representing Singapore and Asia’s highest ranked Laser sailor in the ISAF world rankings, will skipper the boat and also assume the role of tactician whilst Justin, a gold medal winning match racer in the Asian Games, will take on the headsail trimmer position. For more information on Team Aberdeen Singapore visit the team page here.

However, the man in the driving seat of Team Aberdeen Singapore will be none other than Robert Greenhalgh, winner of the first-ever Extreme Sailing Series in 2007, who boasts three Volvo Ocean Races, seven Atlantic crossings, three World Championships titles and a host of European titles. Most recently, he steered the invitational home team at Act 1 Muscat, Team Duqm Oman, to fourth place in the opening Act of the 2013 Series. “I’m really looking forward to joining Team Aberdeen Singapore. The races are a great opportunity to showcase sailing to the Singapore public. With luck, we will have home support, and while it will be a challenge with a new crew in a new venue racing against established world class teams, we promise to put on a good show,” said Greenhalgh.

Fulfilling the role of mainsail trimmer is seasoned Extreme 40 sailor Andrew Walsh, 31, who has four editions of Extreme Sailing Series under his belt, including a third position as helm of BT in 2008. Walsh was also part of the invitational team line-up with Greenhalgh in Muscat just two weeks ago and the duo will be hoping the consistency on board will fast track them to success on the Singapore race course. Team GB 49er Olympic skiff sailor, Rick Peacock, 27, will be the team’s bowman, a role he assumed in 2012 with GAC Pindar and onboard the Aberdeen Asset Management sponsored Extreme 40 in the UK in 2011.

Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Limited Managing Director, Hugh Young, added, “We are delighted to confirm the line-up for Team Aberdeen Singapore. Given our company background, it’s wholly appropriate that we have an all Anglo-Singaporean crew. This is exciting for us and I’m sure Singaporeans will quickly identify with our boat once the action starts.” Aberdeen Asset Management is providing a three-year sponsorship of the Singapore Act with additional support from Singapore Sports Council.

Eight Extreme 40s will line-up in Singapore for what is expected to be a tense light wind event held within the confines of the world famous Marina Bay from the 11th to 14th April. Fans and spectators will enjoy complimentary access to the Race Village at The Promontory@Marina Bay from the 12th April where they can enjoy all-day entertainment, including the return of the NeilPryde Racing Series, the main warm-up Act for the Extreme 40 action which will take place at all remaining Acts in 2013.

Team Aberdeen Singapore will be represented by:

Position / Name
Skipper/Tactician: Scott Glen Sydney (SIN)
Helm: Robert Greenhalgh (GBR)
Mainsail trim: Andrew Walsh (GBR)
Headsail trim: Justin Wong (SIN)
Bow: Rick Peacock (GBR)

Posted in News, Racing - Tagged sailing, sailing news

Posts tagged extreme sailing series

EXTREME MEETS EXTREME

ACT 3 FINAL DAY REPLAY

THE WAVE, MUSCAT WINS

WILL TILLER TALKS ABOUT BEING A NEW SKIPPER

THE WAVE, MUSCAT DUEL IT OUT WITH ALINGHI

THE WAVE, MUSCAT BACK ON TOP

CHINA’S EXTREME SKIPPER MITCH BOOTH

ACT 3 DAY 2 REPLAY

ALINGHI AND ‘THE WAVE’ BATTLE IT OUT

THE WAVE, MUSCAT MOVES UP THE LEADERBOARD

EXTREME SAILING SERIES™ HEADS TO CHINA

LAND ROVER PARTNERS WITH THE EXTREME SAILING SERIES™

OMAN SAIL’S THE WAVE MUSCAT TARGETS RETURN

CHINA TEAM RETURNS

ACT 2 SINGAPORE HIGHLIGHTS

ALINGHI WINS ACT 2

EXTREME SAILING – DAY ONE

PROGRAM 1 – MUSCAT, OMAN

SINGAPORE GOES EXTREME…AGAIN

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!

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